George Strait Music Video Features Ulster County Heroes

George Strait is one of the biggest names in country music. There's a reason why they call him The King.

Back in 2019, George Strait released his record Honkey Tonk Time Machine. On that album was a song called The Weight of The Badge. In October a music video for the song was released.

In the 6 minute video, while George Strait sings in the background, several different law enforcement officers and emergency service members. From Texas to New York these officers told their stories and the impact that being a police officer or firefighter has had on themselves and their families.

The video opens up at the New York State Police Academy with a voiceover playing from Saugerties Police Chief Joe Sinagra saying:

You have people that are going out and doing a job to defend their communities and you know in the back of the mind of every one of those officers, one of them might not be going home. I've seen it throughout my career. I've seen it here locally where a police officer didn't go home. They kissed their loved ones goodbye and that was the last time they saw them.

Through tears he added "and sometimes I don't think we realize the impact that this job has had on our families, let alone ourselves. That's a heavyweight. That's the heavy weight of the badge."

Lt Karen Pignataro of the Woodstock Fire Department said in the video:

So for me the weight of the badge is, the weight of the pager. When the tones go off the emergency comes in and you're going.

Saugerties 2nd Lt. Stan O'Dell is also featured in the music video. During his interview, you can hear his pager go off and we hear that there is an emergency on Partition Street. Lt. O'Dell ends his interview with "I'm going."

The video ends with a conversation with Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa. Figueroa is heard saying:

It's a sense of service, really. That weight is a sense of service to the people. I'm very, very hopeful and I'm an optimist. I think most of us are an optimist in this job, 'cause really we want to do what's right and what's good for the people.

Not only can you see these Hudson Valley heroes in action in George Strait's music video, but they have also released the full interviews with Sheriff Figueroa, Lt. O'Dell, and Lt. Pignataro. 

Take a look below: