Just in time for Valentine’s Day, SongwritingWith:Soldiers delivers a love song that trades roses for resolve and grand gestures for grit. “The One They Call,” available now, is an unconventional but deeply moving testament to commitment under pressure—written by Army Sergeant First Class (Retired) Matthew Chapman and his wife Debbi alongside acclaimed songwriter Radney Foster, and performed by Foster with special guest Kelly Willis.
Penned during a SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreat at Boulder Crest Foundation, “The One They Call” tells the Chapmans’ real-life story of choosing love when the stakes could not have been higher. Matthew, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, had proposed twice before Debbi said yes. But as his unit prepared to deploy in the wake of 9/11, the urgency of war reframed everything. They married in a courthouse in Fayetteville before he shipped out, not for spectacle, but so that if the unthinkable happened, she would be “the one they call.”
Radney Foster and Kelly Willis - Photo: Jasna Boudard
It’s a line that anchors the song’s emotional core. As noted by MusicRow, the track is “stately and strong…two outstanding country singers emoting on a powerful lyric of lovers who marry so that if anything bad happens, ‘I want to be the one they call.’” Rather than a sweeping Valentine’s ballad, this is a portrait of devotion forged in uncertainty—a love song where commitment is measured not in poetry alone, but in paperwork signed before deployment.
“I was so moved by the Chapmans’ story, and the love they share together when we wrote ‘The One They Call,’ I asked Kelly Willis to sing it with me,” Foster shares. “It was such a joy to record with her.” For Willis, whose father served as an Army officer, the song resonated personally. She understands firsthand the quiet sacrifices made by military families, the long absences, the unanswered calls, the strength required on the home front.
For Matthew and Debbi, the songwriting retreat was an unexpected turning point. “Going into SongwritingWith:Soldiers we had no idea what to expect,” they recall. “Radney sat with us as we told him our story. We never imagined that brief conversation would lead to this.” Years later, hearing their journey transformed into melody still brings them to tears. “We are humbled, but so excited to share our story.”
That transformation, from lived experience to shared art, is at the heart of SongwritingWith:Soldiers’ mission. Founded in 2012, the nonprofit brings service members, veterans, and military families together with professional songwriters in carefully crafted retreat settings across the country. More than 7,000 participants have taken part, co-writing songs that reflect both visible and invisible wounds of service.
The organization’s collaborative methodology is rooted in dignity, consent, and trust. Each song is co-written with intention, honoring the participant’s voice. With permission, many are later shared publicly, through performances, playlists, and streaming releases—to build bridges between military and civilian communities.
A pilot study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital found that the SongwritingWith:Soldiers method may help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression, underscoring the therapeutic potential of creative expression in trusted environments.
Now, through a new music program made possible by The Johnson Family Fund, the organization is thoughtfully selecting and producing songs from its retreat catalog for release on major streaming platforms. The goal is not simply to create beautiful music, but to deepen public understanding of the veteran experience and elevate voices too often unheard.
With “The One They Call,” that mission becomes personal. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful love songs are not about falling in love, but about standing firm when everything is on the line.