For the last few weeks, I've had someone on my mind.
I have been seeing CSI New York on TV more than usual which sparked me to think about Gary Sinise, the star of the show. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sinise on two occasions, once in Aviano, Italy at Hubby's flying squadron when Mr. Sinise was touring Europe and made an unannounced visit to the squadron, and the other time at a VIP event at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii just prior to a Lt. Dan Band Concert.
The video of his 60 Minutes interview is pretty incredible. It's well worth watching. You get to see the kind of man he really is when Hollywood is not around. He's not about Hollywood. At all. Not even a little bit.
I love this man! Despite his stardom, he's a humble man dedicated to making the lives of our service personnel better. He quietly goes about his work. He asks for no accolades. He just does what needs to be done. He has no problem asking others to help him. He has a purpose and has staked out his claim.
He does so much for the military---it's actually pretty incredible how much time he devotes to representing the cause of military both active duty, retired, and disabled veterans. The Gary Sinise Foundation celebrates two years of serving our military families and wounded warriors. I cannot say enough good things about the work this man does. He has an A List of corporate sponsors behind him who are dedicated to our military families. Take a look at the Foundation's Blog and see for yourself what they have accomplished in two years.
The interviewer said to him, "you're a big shot actor, and this is what makes you feel important." His response was, "it makes you get out of yourself."
Mr. Sinise knows what is really important. He believes you cannot forget your Defenders.
In 2009, Mr. Sinise filmed an exclusive documentary with Fox News entitled "On the Road in Iraq With Our Troops and Gary Sinise." His personal goal was to shake 5000 hands, and go 2000 miles in seven days. He did it. It is a moving documentary.
 |
I know Mr. Sinise will never know who I am or know how much I appreciate his work. However, I want to tell as many people as I can about him and his Foundation. He is a person that REALLY makes a difference and goes about his daily life doing good. He's a Saint in my book.
Gary Sinise will go down in history because he believed in a cause---not because he was a television and movie star. A few others went on before him --- Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis are two that come quickly to mind. They cut the mold. No one knew how to do it before them. They got in and figured it out. Mr. Sinise has stepped into some big boots and is doing just fine. Actually, I think he has fined tuned it.
I feel fortunate to have met him and had the opportunity to shake his hand.
The Mission:
“Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show our gratitude to our nation's defenders, we can always do a little more” -GARY SINISE
"It's very important that we give back to these volunteers who serve our nation because they're on the front lines for us, and they need to know we care," he said. "Perhaps one of the reasons that I've jumped on board so strongly for the USO, and for supporting the service members in this time of war, is that I do remember how our Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home, and we can never let that happen again." Air Force Link, November 3, 2004
 |
"Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good" is an exceptional full-length documentary movie that rallies all who experience it around our flag, our nation, and the men and women who selflessly serve our country and daily place themselves in harm's way.
No comments:
Post a Comment