Emily Compagno on how her best-selling book allows her to serve 'as small messenger' of larger-than-life stories
Fox News' Emily Compagno spoke with Fox News Digital at the 6th annual Patriot Awards, where she discussed what it means to her to unveil her new book and corresponding Fox Nation series, "Under His Wings," at the annual event.
"Outnumbered" co-host Emily Compagno’s New York Times bestselling book "Under His Wings" highlights the remarkable stories of American war heroes who describe how their profound faith in God changed their lives.
"Under His Wings: How Faith on the Front Lines Has Protected American Troops," the latest offering from FOX News Books," allowed Compagno to share stories from generations of service members along with her own experience visiting American troops in Iraq and Kuwait when she was a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders.
"Writing ‘Under His Wings’ remains, and will forever remain, the utmost honor of my life to serve as a small messenger for the extraordinary voices within… those war fighters who sacrificed and served, in and out of uniform, on the battlefield and with a changing battlefield that, for some, were the home front battling the effects of PTSD, the grief of the ultimate sacrifice, or the morphing realities of catastrophic wounds and injuries," Compagno told Fox News Digital backstage at the sixth annual FOX Nation Patriot Awards.
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In this celebration of faith and freedom, Fox News Co-Host Emily Compagno shares first-person accounts that show the profound role belief in God has played in the lives of U.S. military service members as they served in combat from World War I to today—commemorating the courage, camaraderie, spirit, and sacrifice of America’s heroes. (Fox News Books)
Compagno, the daughter of a commander in the U.S. Navy, said that coming from a family with a strong military background filled with highly decorated veterans made this a passion project for her.
"I carried on the legacy of my mother's work as our family historian and her genealogy about our whole military family and history that began even before World War I," she said.
"It's such an honor to uphold that legacy," Compagno added. "For example, my great-great aunt, who was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nursing Corps, deployed for a year and a half in World War II, and she sent letters home regularly, which my family saved. So, it's the honor of a lifetime for me to carry forward her voice and her recollection."
EMILY COMPAGNO TALKS HER NEW BOOK, 'UNDER HIS WINGS'
The final product is a first-hand account of how religious beliefs emboldened Americans to persevere on the field of battle.
"What it means to me and the personal impact that it means to me to have written ‘Under His Wings’ is just so multifaceted. To serve as that small messenger for the soldiers and war fighters within their families, and also my own family that has such a strong and deep legacy of military service," she said.
The "Under His Wings" Fox Nation special offers additional stories and footage not found in the bestselling book. (Fox Nation)
FOX Nation is streaming an "Under His Wings" special hosted by Compagno, which she called "an extraordinary additional glimpse into these war fighters" that goes beyond the book.
"There are plenty of conversations that we had, and nuggets that were revealed by them in their stories that aren't in the book, that weren't able to make it into the confines of the black and white details within the pages," Compagno said.
"The Fox Nation special not only captures additional details, but also incredible footage," she added. "For example, of my reunion with Colonel Karcher, who took care of me in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, when my fellow NFL cheerleaders and I were stranded there for a night."
The FOX Nation special features remarkable footage of the "Outnumbered" co-host being reunited with the man who lost his legs driving over an IED three days after helping her get safely out of Iraq.
"The overarching theme of this very special book ‘Under His Wings’ is that we are never alone, that God is always with us and serving as a messenger for these stories, some of which were never shared before," Compagno said.
"Outnumbered" co-hosts Emily Compagno, Harris Faulkner and Kayleigh McEnany. (FOX News Media) (Fox News)
"Some of these soldiers told me, ‘I've never told this story before, but I trust you with sharing this story,’ and then proceeded to share these deeply intimate, deeply life-changing events," she added. "But through it all, every single war fighter and every family member really had this conclusion that God was always with them. And also, that we are never alone in our faith."
"Under His Wings" debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. It is available for purchase now, and its companion special is streaming on FOX Nation.
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