Gary Sinise

Watched a segment on 60 Minutes last night concerning Gary Sinise and the work he does for disabled American veterans. He made a connection to them coincidentally when he played disabled veteran Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump. I was blown away by what this man does, did some research this morning and was more blown away by his depth of character and commitment.
It ain't just Forrest Gump.
His father, two uncles, three brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law and a nephew have all served in the military, stretching from World War II through Vietnam and on to Afghanistan.
His commitment began in the eighties when he was Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre. He worked on material written by a group of Vietnam veterans based on their experiences while serving there. Moved by this, he contacted local Vietnam veterans groups, took the cast to local VA hospitals, and began a series of free performances for veterans.
He was introduced to the Disabled American Veterans organization in 1994 when he played Lt. Dan, and has supported them ever since.
September 11, 2001 was the ultimate catalyst that inspired him to really intensify his efforts. He was determined that he was not going to let our service personnel and their families experience the negative reception and lack of support received by veterans returning from Vietnam. He immediately volunteered his time with the USO.
In November 2003 on his second trip to Iraq with the USO, he visited a school that had been completely refurbished by U.S. troops. This inspired him to co-found Operation Iraqi Children which has since morphed into Operation International Children.
He took his first trip to Iraq in June 2003. The intense reaction to his Lt. Dan character was obvious in the enduring connection it made with servicemen in all branches of the military. Service members who didn't know him as Gary Sinise, the actor, knew him as Lt.Dan, and deeply identified with the character.
He formed the Gary Sinise and Lt. Dan Band so he could do more to entertain the troops than just shake hands. Since then they have completed over 40 USO tours, visiting bases in Alaska and throughout the U.S., and in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Belgium, The UK, The Netherlands, Italy, UAE, Qatar, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, Okinawa and Guantanamo Bay.
He raised funds for The Pentagon Memorial and The Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance.
He is the national spokesperson for the American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial. He is involved with Building Homes For Heroes. And The Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation, which supports children who have lost a parent, and firefighters and military who have been seriously injured and have sacrificed their quality of life in the line of duty. And Snowball Express which creates hope and new memories for the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since September 11. And The Advisory Council of Hope For The Warriors, an organization founded by military wives which supports U.S. service members, their families and families of the fallen.
He has received The Presidential Citizen's Medal, the second highest civilian honor awarded for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation.
He is involved in a whole bunch of other things, and has donated his own money to many of these causes. My fingers are getting tired, otherwise I would list them.
This man is amazing.
We all waste time whining about petty things, I am first among you, and here you have this guy giving everything he's got to help veterans. Using celebrity and wealth to do good, to give back, which is the mantra of The Gary Sinise Foundation. "To provide opportunities for people to give back."
These things happen quietly. Idiotic things that the Kardashians do get maximum coverage. Gary Sinise is giving everything he can for exceptional causes and you don't hear about it.
His band makes appearances in small communities to help raise money for disabled veterans who live there. People who are double, triple and quadruple amputees. He raises awareness that these brave people need support within the community.
A number of them were featured in the piece and I was blown away by their confidence, determination and positive attitude.
And I whine about being fat.
Go to garysinisefoundation.org and read about a man who demonstrates what a human being can do when they rise above pettiness and selfishness.
The man is an inspiration. He stands for all that is good about the human spirit. All the traits that get buried under a mountain of distraction and self pity.
Gary Sinise single handedly shifts the balance of humanity towards a positive perspective. A heavy load that he is obviously qualified to handle.
Amazing.