For years, through the Gary Sinise Foundation, iconic actor Gary Sinise, known for his dramatic portrayal of Lt. Dan in the hit film “Forrest Gump,” has been working to transform the lives of those who’ve already given so much. From war-torn battlefields half a world away to dealing with major disasters that destroy lives, they are the men and women of the armed forces. They and their families pay the heavy cost of freedom in service to their country, yet many are facing the lasting effects of trauma, deep depression, mental health issues, addiction, and even homelessness. Gary shares more about their incredible work and that of America’s first responders, and how he's turning his own personal tragedy into a beacon of hope to make a difference.
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| Hollywood Icon Gary Sinise: Standing with America’s Soldiers and First Responder | The Stakscast | March 25, 2025
- I remember doing a play in the mid-eighties.
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- It was focused on telling the stories of vietnam veterans.
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- It was an impactful play
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- Not only on the audience, but on the actors and on me.
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- And it changed my life in a big way.
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- Then, after playing lieutenant dan in forrest gump,
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- He was a wounded veteran, of course.
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- So i started supporting our wounded.
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- And then september 11th came along
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- And i was swept off in a call to action to just try and serve.
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- We don't want our service members
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- To go off and serve in war and then come home and not feel
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- Like the nation is grateful for what they did, especially.
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- If they've seen a lot of bad stuff.
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- They've lost a lot of friends. they've given their limbs.
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- It was the catalyst for the creation of a program
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- At the gary sinise foundation
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- To empower these veterans to excel as much as possible
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- For all they have given in service to our country.
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- Welcome to the stakscast.
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- I'm erick stakelbeck and our guest today is much more than just a hollywood icon.
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- He's a patriot, a warrior for our nation's heroes,
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- A man of faith and a man on a mission.
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- You may know gary sinise
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- From his academy award nominated role
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- As lieutenant dan in forrest gump or as detective
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- Mac taylor on the hit show csi new york.
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- But gary's legacy and impact goes much deeper
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- As a founder of the gary sinise foundation.
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- He's made it his life's work
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- To ensure that our veterans, first responders
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- And their families are never forgotten.
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- He's built mortgage free smart homes for wounded warriors,
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- Provided millions in aid to gold star families
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- And uplifted our troops worldwide.
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- With lieutenant dan band folks.
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- This is a man who doesn't just talk
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- About supporting america's heroes.
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- He's out there every single day getting it done.
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- Gary, great to see you.
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- And, hey, we've got a lot to talk about.
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- Yeah. gary sinise foundation, all the great work you're doing.
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- But i have to ask it first, gary.
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- We've had a few tough years in our country, but
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- It seems things may be turning a corner as of late.
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- Do you sense maybe in your travels around the country,
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- Do you sense perhaps a renewed sense of optimism in america
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- As of late?
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- You know, when i when i travel around erick, it's
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- Usually on military bases or military hospitals
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- And that kind of thing. and, you know, i'm usually doing something that's there.
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- You know, i'm trying to make an impact.
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- I'm trying to,
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- You know, bring raise people's spirits.
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- So generally when i'm there, i sense,
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- You know, a lot of a lot of joy.
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- I felt, you know, that our there are military
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- Folks are are feeling pretty good right now.
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- You know, there's always those situations
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- Where families have lost a loved one or,
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- You know, have somebody who's been injured or,
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- You know, is ill from, you know, during their service.
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- But we just go and we try to lift them up.
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- And generally,
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- You know, people i'm there and i see a lot of smiles.
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- Yeah. amen. and gary, you've committed your life.
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- I mean, look, your work at the gary sinise foundation.
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- Absolutely amazing.
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- People may ask, how did gary get into this?
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- You founded the foundation
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- In 2011, but your role back in ‘94 as lieutenant dan,
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- That really sparked the interest
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- And the passion in you, right, for supporting our veterans?
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- I think that was one yeah, definitely.
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- Definitely one of the one of the keys there.
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- I was i got involved in, let's see,
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- ‘94 with the disabled american veterans.
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- After playing lieutenant dan and forrest gump and,
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- You know, i met a lot of a lot of wounded folks
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- Going all the way back to world war two and all the way
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- Up to the gulf war at that at that time.
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- Yeah. and, you know, that impacted me a lot, just meeting them
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- And seeing, you know, what showing up can do.
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- And so i wanted to show up some more and show up some more.
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- And then after september 11th, you know, when we deployed
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- To iraq and afghanistan, i just felt
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- Called to kind of get out there and and make sure our
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- Our folks that were serving
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- Knew that they were appreciated and that we weren't forgetting
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- About them. and the more i did that, the more i wanted to do.
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- I wanted to keep doing it.
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- And it just made it made sense at a certain point
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- To having been on multiple
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- Military bases and hospitals and all that and supporting
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- Multiple military and veteran and first responder charities.
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- It just became clear at a certain point
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- That starting my own foundation was the way to go.
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- And that's when the gary sinise foundation was launched.
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- And now we're just about to hit our 15th year.
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- Incredible. you know, my dad was a disabled veteran.
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- He was a paratrooper, had a lot of health problems
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- From his time in the service. but.
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- Gary, can you talk about we know about the physical wounds.
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- Obviously,
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- There's psychological issues to a lot of times guys come home
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- And they're dealing with the trauma of war.
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- Can you talk about some of the challenges our veterans face?
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- Well, it's very, very challenging.
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- Transitioning from the military
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- To the civilian sector is very challenging,
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- Obviously, for a lot of people
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- That have been in the service for a long time.
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- But coming home
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- From deployments, multiple deployments over the years,
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- I've just seen a lot of people
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- Struggle with all kinds of things.
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- And then, of course, after the withdrawal in afghanistan,
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- When that that happened and it was it was poorly managed
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- And we lost people during that withdrawal
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- That the country was handed back to the taliban after 20 years.
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- You have a lot of afghanistan
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- Veterans that are struggling with that.
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- So in the gary sinise foundation, we provide
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- Mental wellness initiatives and programs
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- To try to address these challenges that they're having.
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- And one of the things that we're doing actually, erick,
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- We actually have a film coming out.
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- It's called brothers after war.
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- And this was this this is a follow up film
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- To a film that i was executive producer on
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- Going back to about 2009, 2010 called brothers
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- At war, and my buddy jake rademacher, filmmaker,
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- Had two brothers serving in iraq,
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- And he decided to try to embed with them
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- And see what they were doing in the war
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- And try to track them and track their
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- Their military family life and the effect of having
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- A soldier deployed, what effects that was having on the family.
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- And it's a great documentary kind of depicting active duty
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- Military life.
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- And we thought, let's take a look
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- At a lot of the people
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- That were in that
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- Original film back then and find out what they're doing now.
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- And many of them, we suspected, were veterans.
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- Now, having got out of the service
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- After serving in iraq and afghanistan.
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- And sure enough, most of them have transitioned out of the service.
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- So we wanted to kind of track and document
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- What that transition was like for them,
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- How hard it was for them.
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- What's it like for the families to be going through
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- These this transition with a service member
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- Who saw a lot of bad stuff in iraq and afghanistan?
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- So this movie, brothers after war, it's
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- We hope a lot of veterans go see it.
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- And if they do, if they if they feel the need
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- For support and assistance,
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- Kind of counseling,
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- Anything, just somebody to talk to,
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- They reach out to the gary sinise foundation after that.
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- We have a lot of programs
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- Addressing these things because it's a very serious problem,
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- You know, serving in the military,
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- Having, you know, losing friends,
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- Having people to seeing people get blown up
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- And all that kind of stuff.
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- Now, it can be very challenging mentally.
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- So we don't want them to suffer in silence.
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- We want them to reach out.
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- We don't want the invisible wounds of war to take over their system
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- And prevent them from having a good like life.
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- We want to help them through that.
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- Yeah, gary, well said.
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- And folks again, brothers after war,
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- Powerful new film that gary's put together.
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- And you're not only, look, making films about the plight
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- Of our veterans mental help there, but also housing.
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- Gary talk about the smart homes
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- Initiative that the gary sinise foundation is pushing forward.
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- Years ago, i was approached by
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- Some folks in new york city who wanted to build
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- A specially adapted smart technology
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- Mortgage free home for the first
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- Surviving quadruple amputee.
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- And there was a soldier who was injured in iraq in 2009.
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- He lost both his arms and both his legs.
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- And i and i saw him in the hospital
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- About six months before i was approached in new york
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- By these folks who wanted to build him a special home.
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- And so i knew who they were talking about.
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- I had seen him and visited him.
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- And so i volunteered to raise money by
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- Donating my band
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- To do a concert, to raise money to build this special house.
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- And that led to another house for another quadruple amputee.
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- And then three more after that and then many more wounded
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- After that.
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- And eventually
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- It was the catalyst for the creation of a program
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- At the gary sinise foundation called rise
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- Restoring independence, supporting empowerment.
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- We want to empower
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- These veterans who have been severely injured
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- In battle to be more independent in their home.
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- And when they're more independent,
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- Their family is more independent.
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- So we have provided nearly 100
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- Specially adapted mortgage free homes for very, very badly
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- Wounded folks who have given a lot for our country.
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- Their families go through a lot.
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- You know, they come out of the hospital
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- After multiple surgeries
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- And multiple years
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- Of rehabilitation, wondering how they're going to support their family.
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- How are they going to, you know, how are they going to live?
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- And we come in and they they apply for the program.
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- And, you know, we go through it with them.
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- And now, like i said, we've we've built 94 homes this year.
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- Well, we'll build our gosh, we'll
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- Hit 100 homes sometime later this year.
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- These are these are life changing homes for these families.
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- And again,
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- You know, somebody was given
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- Their arms and legs and they're blind.
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- They're burned up. they've got,
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- You know, maybe traumatic brain injuries, whatever.
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- We don't want them to struggle in life.
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- We want them to excel
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- As much as possible for all they have given
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- In service to our country.
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- So at the gary sinise foundation, that's our program
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- Rise. restoring independence, supporting empowerment.
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- And we're helping a lot of people through that program.
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- It's incredible. gary, you have so many success stories at the foundation.
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- And the great thing about it is
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- You get to see their trajectory.
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- You've got the new film coming out, of course, brothers after war,
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- And you kind of follow the trajectory over the years
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- Of many of these veterans.
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- Do you get a sense and look, obviously the american people,
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- We love our veterans, but do you get a sense
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- Maybe that there needs to be reminders once in a while
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- That, hey, these guys have paid
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- The ultimate sacrifice at great cost,
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- Physical, mental, their families are
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- Putting their lives on the line for our country
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- Is that one of the reasons you do what you do here?
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- That it's the american people?
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- Sometimes we need that reminder to be grateful to our heroes.
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- Well, you know, they're not on the front pages
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- All the time the way they were during the height of the iraq
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- And afghanistan conflicts and wars there.
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- So but yet, you know, there are residual effects
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- From those wars that will will last a lifetime.
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- And we want them always to know that we're there for them.
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- There are many, many great organizations out there that are
- 00:11:47.434 --> 00:11:49.935
- Doing the same type of thing to make sure that they,
- 00:11:49.935 --> 00:11:53.234
- They and their families know they're appreciated,
- 00:11:53.234 --> 00:11:55.368
- That there are services that are provided.
- 00:11:55.368 --> 00:11:58.935
- I have a lot of vietnam veterans in my family when they came home from war,
- 00:11:59.102 --> 00:12:02.234
- You know, the country was in turmoil.
- 00:12:02.368 --> 00:12:04.867
- It was divided over
- 00:12:04.867 --> 00:12:06.101
- Whether we should have been in vietnam or not.
- 00:12:06.101 --> 00:12:08.701
- And the warrior kind of paid a price for that.
- 00:12:08.701 --> 00:12:11.968
- They were forgotten. they went into the shadows.
- 00:12:11.968 --> 00:12:14.034
- We don't want our service members
- 00:12:14.034 --> 00:12:16.267
- To go off and serve in war
- 00:12:16.267 --> 00:12:17.601
- And then come home and not feel like the nation.
- 00:12:17.601 --> 00:12:20.568
- The nation is grateful for what they did,
- 00:12:20.634 --> 00:12:22.835
- Especially if they're they've seen a lot of bad stuff.
- 00:12:22.835 --> 00:12:25.734
- They've lost a lot of friends.
- 00:12:25.734 --> 00:12:26.968
- They've given their their limbs, parts of their bodies
- 00:12:26.968 --> 00:12:30.667
- In service to our country.
- 00:12:30.767 --> 00:12:32.035
- We we want them to always know that we back them up.
- 00:12:32.035 --> 00:12:35.201
- I feel, look, the government can do so much,
- 00:12:35.334 --> 00:12:39.534
- But we have millions and millions of veterans
- 00:12:39.634 --> 00:12:41.667
- Who have served our country.
- 00:12:41.667 --> 00:12:42.800
- I don't think the government
- 00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:43.901
- Can handle all the issues that our veterans face.
- 00:12:43.901 --> 00:12:47.701
- And that's where the non-profits come in.
- 00:12:47.835 --> 00:12:49.868
- And a lot of non-profits popped up after the
- 00:12:49.868 --> 00:12:53.867
- Invasion of iraq
- 00:12:53.967 --> 00:12:55.568
- Going into afghanistan after the attacks on 9/11,
- 00:12:55.568 --> 00:12:59.301
- A lot of military charities popped up to serve and honor
- 00:12:59.434 --> 00:13:04.068
- The needs of the men and women who were deploying in reaction to the attacks on september 11th
- 00:13:04.235 --> 00:13:08.534
- And those organizations, a lot of them are still here.
- 00:13:08.668 --> 00:13:10.967
- I support a lot of them.
- 00:13:10.967 --> 00:13:12.501
- I learned a lot from them
- 00:13:12.501 --> 00:13:14.101
- And ended up starting my own organization.
- 00:13:14.101 --> 00:13:16.501
- I don't think we can ever do enough for the men and women
- 00:13:16.501 --> 00:13:18.633
- Who serve our country
- 00:13:18.633 --> 00:13:20.067
- And protect our cities, our first responders,
- 00:13:20.067 --> 00:13:22.434
- Our firefighters, our police officers.
- 00:13:22.434 --> 00:13:24.800
- They're out there every single day
- 00:13:24.800 --> 00:13:26.801
- And they do hard stuff and they sacrifice.
- 00:13:26.801 --> 00:13:30.034
- And just think about
- 00:13:30.267 --> 00:13:31.601
- A firefighter who you know, gets called
- 00:13:31.601 --> 00:13:34.002
- To the scene of a car wreck and the car is on fire.
- 00:13:34.002 --> 00:13:36.735
- And they're five people, a family of five in there,
- 00:13:36.735 --> 00:13:40.633
- And they're all killed.
- 00:13:40.767 --> 00:13:42.334
- And he's got to put that fire out and then
- 00:13:42.334 --> 00:13:45.267
- Take their bodies and
- 00:13:45.501 --> 00:13:47.633
- Take them to the morgue and
- 00:13:47.734 --> 00:13:50.034
- Then go home to their own families.
- 00:13:50.034 --> 00:13:52.234
- You know, these things happen
- 00:13:52.234 --> 00:13:53.501
- Every single day around the country.
- 00:13:53.501 --> 00:13:55.001
- We lose firefighters. we lose police officers.
- 00:13:55.001 --> 00:13:57.667
- Last last year alone,
- 00:13:57.667 --> 00:13:59.501
- We lost nearly 150 police officers in this country
- 00:13:59.501 --> 00:14:03.334
- Who were killed, killed by a gunshot, killed
- 00:14:03.468 --> 00:14:06.434
- By car wrecks, you know, whatever,
- 00:14:06.701 --> 00:14:09.301
- You know, standing on a road and in there on a
- 00:14:09.301 --> 00:14:12.267
- A highway and a car goes by and hits them and they're gone.
- 00:14:12.368 --> 00:14:15.701
- They and their families have to live with that.
- 00:14:15.835 --> 00:14:17.801
- So we're here for them and we try to support
- 00:14:17.801 --> 00:14:20.835
- Other organizations that are doing the same thing.
- 00:14:20.835 --> 00:14:23.801
- I encourage people to go to gary sinise foundation website
- 00:14:23.968 --> 00:14:27.301
- And see what we're doing.
- 00:14:27.434 --> 00:14:29.134
- Yeah. gary, speaking of battling fires, of course, a place
- 00:14:29.835 --> 00:14:32.167
- You spent a lot of time with through your career,
- 00:14:32.167 --> 00:14:33.835
- Southern california, obviously the wildfires recently.
- 00:14:33.835 --> 00:14:37.634
- Any news there that you know of in terms of what
- 00:14:37.735 --> 00:14:40.700
- They were facing? first responders battling those wildfires?
- 00:14:41.701 --> 00:14:44.201
- That was a horrific scene.
- 00:14:44.201 --> 00:14:45.967
- I've been to to both the palisades
- 00:14:45.967 --> 00:14:49.368
- Where they lost hundreds, if not thousands of homes in there
- 00:14:49.501 --> 00:14:53.433
- And also altadena.
- 00:14:53.533 --> 00:14:54.967
- I went there to both places.
- 00:14:54.967 --> 00:14:57.368
- We have a program at the gary sinise
- 00:14:57.368 --> 00:14:58.934
- Foundation called serving heroes.
- 00:14:58.934 --> 00:15:01.934
- We provide free meals for
- 00:15:02.067 --> 00:15:03.968
- Firefighters, police officers, military personnel.
- 00:15:03.968 --> 00:15:07.767
- We go to the hospitals.
- 00:15:07.867 --> 00:15:09.868
- We do that. it's not so much about the food, you know, the free food
- 00:15:10.035 --> 00:15:13.934
- That they get
- 00:15:13.934 --> 00:15:15.168
- As it as it is about the message of support and appreciation
- 00:15:15.168 --> 00:15:18.434
- And remembrance for what they're doing.
- 00:15:18.434 --> 00:15:20.468
- And going to the palisades and seeing what
- 00:15:20.468 --> 00:15:24.668
- What our firefighters had to go through
- 00:15:24.768 --> 00:15:27.167
- And seeing the looks on their faces,
- 00:15:27.167 --> 00:15:29.534
- Knowing that they, you know, this firestorm form was so fierce.
- 00:15:29.768 --> 00:15:33.134
- Now, 80 mile an hour winds, it's like a tornado of fire
- 00:15:33.234 --> 00:15:36.934
- Just blowing through these areas.
- 00:15:36.934 --> 00:15:39.301
- Very, very difficult to fight that very difficult challenges.
- 00:15:39.301 --> 00:15:42.934
- Same thing in altadena,
- 00:15:43.001 --> 00:15:44.234
- Where they lost over 6000 homes in altadena.
- 00:15:44.234 --> 00:15:48.101
- All those people are displaced
- 00:15:48.368 --> 00:15:49.968
- Now, firefighters are feeling like they didn't do enough.
- 00:15:49.968 --> 00:15:53.767
- It's difficult. so we go in there and we provide these meals
- 00:15:54.868 --> 00:15:57.301
- And we try to help them.
- 00:15:57.301 --> 00:15:58.501
- I saw those those areas myself.
- 00:15:58.501 --> 00:16:01.534
- The firefighters took me up there.
- 00:16:01.534 --> 00:16:04.501
- They've got a lot of a lot of those areas are closed off now.
- 00:16:04.501 --> 00:16:09.101
- Businesses have been abandoned.
- 00:16:09.234 --> 00:16:11.700
- Businesses are down.
- 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:12.901
- I saw chase bank that was burned to the ground.
- 00:16:12.901 --> 00:16:15.735
- I saw a church burned to the ground.
- 00:16:15.735 --> 00:16:17.967
- Schools are burned to the ground.
- 00:16:17.967 --> 00:16:19.634
- Homes are burned to the ground.
- 00:16:19.634 --> 00:16:21.534
- It was really incredible.
- 00:16:21.534 --> 00:16:23.801
- And i you know, i used to i lived there for 35 years.
- 00:16:23.801 --> 00:16:26.501
- I know all those areas.
- 00:16:26.501 --> 00:16:28.567
- We're in nashville now.
- 00:16:28.567 --> 00:16:29.667
- But to be sitting here
- 00:16:29.667 --> 00:16:31.267
- Watching on television, all these areas that, you know,
- 00:16:31.267 --> 00:16:34.568
- Burned, i mean, just malibu alone,
- 00:16:34.701 --> 00:16:37.668
- The fire jumped across pch, pacific coast highway
- 00:16:37.935 --> 00:16:41.600
- And burned a ton of homes
- 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:44.634
- All along the beach, beachfront homes gone.
- 00:16:44.634 --> 00:16:48.034
- You know, it really was a devastating firestorm there.
- 00:16:48.167 --> 00:16:52.701
- And we just want those firefighters
- 00:16:52.801 --> 00:16:55.268
- And first responders and the national guard folks that are out there,
- 00:16:55.435 --> 00:16:57.867
- Police officers that responded to that.
- 00:16:57.867 --> 00:16:59.868
- We want them to know we appreciate them.
- 00:16:59.868 --> 00:17:02.101
- We don't take them for granted.
- 00:17:02.101 --> 00:17:04.267
- You can look at the gary sinise foundation website or check
- 00:17:04.267 --> 00:17:07.401
- Check my x feed out and you'll see pictures from
- 00:17:07.601 --> 00:17:12.668
- From the events, videos from the those events.
- 00:17:12.801 --> 00:17:16.334
- And i don't think we can ever do enough for the men and women
- 00:17:16.468 --> 00:17:19.901
- Who serve. no, gary, you're doing god's work, no doubt.
- 00:17:20.035 --> 00:17:22.201
- You're a man of faith. you're also a man of purpose.
- 00:17:22.201 --> 00:17:24.668
- You've talked a lot about that in your book, grateful american.
- 00:17:24.668 --> 00:17:27.368
- In other comments you've made about
- 00:17:27.368 --> 00:17:29.101
- Living a life of purpose, basically.
- 00:17:29.101 --> 00:17:31.001
- And gary, it's interesting.
- 00:17:31.001 --> 00:17:32.301
- I interviewed israeli prime minister benjamin
- 00:17:32.301 --> 00:17:34.468
- Netanyahu a short while ago, and i asked him just mr.
- 00:17:34.468 --> 00:17:37.835
- Prime minister, any words of wisdom for our audience?
- 00:17:37.835 --> 00:17:40.735
- And he said, live a life of purpose.
- 00:17:40.735 --> 00:17:43.601
- I thought that was very interesting.
- 00:17:43.601 --> 00:17:44.767
- You've talked a bunch about it.
- 00:17:44.767 --> 00:17:45.967
- Bibi is talking about it.
- 00:17:45.967 --> 00:17:47.801
- When you're growing up as a kid in the chicago area,
- 00:17:47.801 --> 00:17:50.768
- Do you see your life taking this trajectory?
- 00:17:50.768 --> 00:17:53.568
- Hollywood, big screen, small screen, gary sinise foundation
- 00:17:53.568 --> 00:17:57.101
- Working with veterans.
- 00:17:57.368 --> 00:17:58.434
- Was this always the way you saw things going?
- 00:17:58.434 --> 00:18:01.501
- Were this all kind of become just an organic thing?
- 00:18:01.501 --> 00:18:04.735
- You're going along and, wow, doors open and here we go.
- 00:18:04.735 --> 00:18:07.700
- Well, when i was in chicago,
- 00:18:07.700 --> 00:18:09.034
- I was focused on building a theater company.
- 00:18:09.034 --> 00:18:11.368
- That's what i was focused on.
- 00:18:11.368 --> 00:18:13.234
- We have a theater company there called steppenwolf theater,
- 00:18:13.234 --> 00:18:16.835
- And i was about 18 years old when it started.
- 00:18:16.935 --> 00:18:20.468
- And i just wanted to be an actor and all i wanted to do was act
- 00:18:20.601 --> 00:18:24.001
- And i wanted to build this theater company.
- 00:18:24.001 --> 00:18:25.800
- I was totally focused on that.
- 00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:27.734
- In the mid-eighties,
- 00:18:27.734 --> 00:18:29.600
- You know, i met my wife
- 00:18:29.600 --> 00:18:30.701
- When when we were in our early twenties,
- 00:18:30.701 --> 00:18:33.401
- And her brother served in vietnam.
- 00:18:33.401 --> 00:18:35.234
- Her sister's husband served in vietnam.
- 00:18:35.234 --> 00:18:38.301
- She introduced me to them and
- 00:18:38.434 --> 00:18:40.334
- They gave me some great lessons back then about what it was like to
- 00:18:40.801 --> 00:18:43.334
- To serve our country, to go off to war
- 00:18:43.468 --> 00:18:45.334
- And then come home and have a difficult time,
- 00:18:45.334 --> 00:18:47.935
- You know, with with the nation kind of turning its back
- 00:18:47.935 --> 00:18:50.667
- On our vietnam veterans.
- 00:18:50.667 --> 00:18:52.267
- I felt a lot of compassion for them.
- 00:18:52.267 --> 00:18:54.234
- So i remember doing a play in the mid-eighties.
- 00:18:54.234 --> 00:18:57.801
- It was focused on telling the stories of vietnam veterans.
- 00:18:57.801 --> 00:19:01.101
- And it was it was an impactful play
- 00:19:01.201 --> 00:19:03.801
- Not only on the audience, but on the actors and on me.
- 00:19:03.801 --> 00:19:07.167
- And it changed my life in a big way.
- 00:19:07.167 --> 00:19:09.634
- We had veterans coming out of the woodwork to see the play,
- 00:19:09.634 --> 00:19:12.434
- And i got very involved in chicago with supporting
- 00:19:12.434 --> 00:19:15.368
- Our vietnam veterans.
- 00:19:15.534 --> 00:19:16.668
- And then after playing lieutenant dan in forrest gump,
- 00:19:16.668 --> 00:19:19.934
- He was a wounded veteran, of course.
- 00:19:20.034 --> 00:19:21.834
- So i started supporting our wounded.
- 00:19:21.834 --> 00:19:24.134
- And then september 11th came along
- 00:19:24.134 --> 00:19:26.901
- And i was swept off in a call to action to just try and serve.
- 00:19:26.901 --> 00:19:31.201
- So can i say that chicago kind of teed up
- 00:19:31.301 --> 00:19:34.534
- Some of the things that i'm doing now?
- 00:19:34.668 --> 00:19:36.201
- Well, maybe a little bit
- 00:19:36.201 --> 00:19:38.201
- Because of
- 00:19:38.201 --> 00:19:39.834
- The vietnam connection and the vietnam
- 00:19:39.834 --> 00:19:41.668
- Veterans in my own family, i wouldn't have known my wife
- 00:19:41.668 --> 00:19:45.067
- If she hadn't joined the steppenwolf theater company
- 00:19:45.067 --> 00:19:48.201
- All all the way back in the seventies.
- 00:19:48.201 --> 00:19:49.968
- Yeah, and i wouldn't have better brothers, so who knows?
- 00:19:49.968 --> 00:19:52.935
- I think those those seventies and eighties really teed up
- 00:19:53.068 --> 00:19:57.067
- A lot of things that happened in the nineties and then after september 11th
- 00:19:57.701 --> 00:20:00.067
- That have kind of compelled me to take action and do everything
- 00:20:00.301 --> 00:20:04.301
- I can to support our veterans and first responder.
- 00:20:04.301 --> 00:20:07.468
- You know, it's amazing when you look back
- 00:20:07.601 --> 00:20:09.101
- Over your life, i think all of us in hindsight,
- 00:20:09.101 --> 00:20:11.301
- You say, wow, god was ordering my steps all along,
- 00:20:11.301 --> 00:20:14.735
- Opening these doors and putting me in these positions.
- 00:20:14.835 --> 00:20:17.768
- But as a conservative voice, gary in hollywood and look,
- 00:20:17.768 --> 00:20:21.267
- You've had great success, obviously,
- 00:20:21.267 --> 00:20:22.668
- In the film industry, tv as well.
- 00:20:22.668 --> 00:20:25.067
- Any pushback
- 00:20:25.067 --> 00:20:26.968
- I know you've been asked this before, of course, but number one, any pushback for your views,
- 00:20:27.102 --> 00:20:30.768
- For your patriotism, your conservatism?
- 00:20:30.768 --> 00:20:33.101
- And secondly,
- 00:20:33.101 --> 00:20:34.034
- Have any as anyone gotten
- 00:20:34.034 --> 00:20:35.301
- On board in hollywood and got behind the gary
- 00:20:35.301 --> 00:20:38.567
- Sinise foundation?
- 00:20:38.567 --> 00:20:39.433
- Have you gotten
- 00:20:39.433 --> 00:20:40.267
- A groundswell of support
- 00:20:40.267 --> 00:20:41.867
- Among actors, among people in the film
- 00:20:41.867 --> 00:20:43.768
- Industry for the foundation's work?
- 00:20:43.768 --> 00:20:47.001
- I do have some support.
- 00:20:47.134 --> 00:20:48.267
- Yeah. yeah.
- 00:20:48.267 --> 00:20:49.735
- I mean, there are there are people that have supported
- 00:20:49.835 --> 00:20:51.067
- The mission of the foundation.
- 00:20:51.067 --> 00:20:52.201
- I've tried to keep the politics
- 00:20:52.201 --> 00:20:54.167
- Kind of away from it because, yeah, look, i want
- 00:20:54.167 --> 00:20:56.934
- I want everybody, democrats, republicans,
- 00:20:56.934 --> 00:20:59.701
- Liberals, conservatives, whoever it is,
- 00:20:59.701 --> 00:21:01.768
- I want them all to support our veterans and military families.
- 00:21:01.768 --> 00:21:05.267
- I'd love them all to support the gary
- 00:21:05.368 --> 00:21:07.067
- Sinise foundation and all our work.
- 00:21:07.067 --> 00:21:08.967
- So i you know, my my personal
- 00:21:08.967 --> 00:21:11.267
- Political views are usually pretty minimal
- 00:21:11.267 --> 00:21:14.067
- With regards to my public stance on certain things.
- 00:21:14.067 --> 00:21:17.334
- I am it yeah, it's in my book.
- 00:21:17.468 --> 00:21:19.334
- I'm a catholic,
- 00:21:19.334 --> 00:21:21.401
- You know, there's no i mean, it's no secret
- 00:21:21.401 --> 00:21:24.368
- That i lean conservative and all that, but you know that
- 00:21:24.368 --> 00:21:28.667
- That stuff isn't as
- 00:21:28.667 --> 00:21:30.800
- Yeah, i mean, certainly my faith has been a strong component
- 00:21:32.035 --> 00:21:34.501
- And ah, in not only my life but our family as well.
- 00:21:34.501 --> 00:21:39.735
- It's helped us through a lot of a lot of difficult things
- 00:21:39.835 --> 00:21:42.768
- And difficult challenges for sure.
- 00:21:42.768 --> 00:21:45.234
- Push back in hollywood.
- 00:21:45.234 --> 00:21:47.168
- I haven't really felt that, you know, i haven't acted for
- 00:21:47.168 --> 00:21:51.134
- About five years now.
- 00:21:51.234 --> 00:21:52.468
- I've just been focused on the mission of the foundation,
- 00:21:52.468 --> 00:21:55.768
- And there are certainly people in hollywood that have,
- 00:21:55.868 --> 00:21:58.601
- You know, have helped the foundation along the way.
- 00:21:58.601 --> 00:22:01.633
- Yeah, absolutely amazing.
- 00:22:01.734 --> 00:22:03.967
- Great to hear.
- 00:22:03.967 --> 00:22:04.533
- And gary, as you said,
- 00:22:04.533 --> 00:22:05.735
- Obviously helping our veterans, our first responders
- 00:22:05.735 --> 00:22:08.368
- Should be a nonpartisan issue, needless to say.
- 00:22:08.368 --> 00:22:11.334
- Hey, you talked about your faith
- 00:22:11.601 --> 00:22:13.534
- Getting you through some tough times.
- 00:22:13.534 --> 00:22:15.934
- Your son, mac, tragically died last year.
- 00:22:15.934 --> 00:22:18.501
- He battled cancer for a while.
- 00:22:18.501 --> 00:22:21.434
- He was a musician. you're a musician and as well playing bass guitar.
- 00:22:21.568 --> 00:22:24.634
- And now you've got some great projects now highlighting mac's music,
- 00:22:25.202 --> 00:22:28.401
- Resurrection and revival part two.
- 00:22:28.534 --> 00:22:31.001
- Tell us about it.
- 00:22:31.001 --> 00:22:31.800
- Tell us about how you're keeping
- 00:22:31.800 --> 00:22:32.867
- Mac's memory alive through his music.
- 00:22:32.867 --> 00:22:36.501
- Well, thanks so much, eric.
- 00:22:36.634 --> 00:22:37.801
- Yeah, mac was a great musician, drummer, composer, and
- 00:22:37.801 --> 00:22:43.501
- He was diagnosed with a very rare cancer
- 00:22:43.601 --> 00:22:45.935
- Called chordoma in 2018, and it really knocked
- 00:22:45.935 --> 00:22:49.600
- Our socks off.
- 00:22:49.600 --> 00:22:51.768
- He had his initial tumor taken off his spine
- 00:22:51.768 --> 00:22:55.167
- In september of 2018, and we were hoping that
- 00:22:55.301 --> 00:23:00.267
- They got it all and it wouldn't come back.
- 00:23:00.401 --> 00:23:02.368
- But unfortunately, about eight months later, they told us
- 00:23:02.368 --> 00:23:05.334
- The cancer has come back and it was spreading now
- 00:23:05.501 --> 00:23:09.101
- And there's no drugs
- 00:23:09.201 --> 00:23:11.701
- That have been developed to fight this particular cancer.
- 00:23:11.701 --> 00:23:16.101
- You fight it with radiation, chemo,
- 00:23:16.201 --> 00:23:19.668
- Other cancer, chemo, medications,
- 00:23:19.768 --> 00:23:23.834
- Surgery.
- 00:23:23.934 --> 00:23:25.401
- Mac had multiple surgeries.
- 00:23:25.401 --> 00:23:27.134
- He was an excellent drummer.
- 00:23:27.134 --> 00:23:30.067
- He was disabled by the cancer.
- 00:23:30.067 --> 00:23:31.834
- He was paralyzed from the chest down.
- 00:23:31.834 --> 00:23:33.601
- He really had to put music away and just fight cancer.
- 00:23:33.601 --> 00:23:36.934
- But the beginning of the year of 2023,
- 00:23:36.934 --> 00:23:40.434
- He said to me, dad, there's a piece of music
- 00:23:40.501 --> 00:23:42.501
- I wrote in college that i never finished,
- 00:23:42.501 --> 00:23:44.835
- And i'm thinking, i want to finish it.
- 00:23:44.835 --> 00:23:46.668
- And he hadn't been focusing on music
- 00:23:46.668 --> 00:23:48.468
- Because he's in a hospital bed, he's in a wheelchair.
- 00:23:48.468 --> 00:23:51.701
- He's just trying to get through the daily grind of fighting cancer.
- 00:23:52.502 --> 00:23:55.434
- And so when he said that, i was like, all in favor.
- 00:23:55.534 --> 00:23:58.834
- Yeah. and he went to work with a buddy
- 00:23:59.101 --> 00:24:00.167
- Of his, oliver schnee, who was a fellow composer
- 00:24:00.167 --> 00:24:04.101
- At usc music school,
- 00:24:04.201 --> 00:24:06.668
- And they finished this piece called arctic circles.
- 00:24:06.668 --> 00:24:10.401
- And you can see the videos of arctic circles
- 00:24:10.501 --> 00:24:13.468
- And other videos at mac sinise youtube.
- 00:24:13.701 --> 00:24:16.234
- Just look him up on youtube.
- 00:24:16.234 --> 00:24:18.067
- You'll see these gorgeous videos, beautiful,
- 00:24:18.067 --> 00:24:21.001
- Beautiful music.
- 00:24:21.001 --> 00:24:21.867
- I was blown away by that.
- 00:24:21.867 --> 00:24:24.468
- It took on a life of its own.
- 00:24:24.468 --> 00:24:26.067
- And then mac said, hey, let's create a whole album.
- 00:24:26.067 --> 00:24:28.735
- So he wanted to make a whole album.
- 00:24:28.735 --> 00:24:31.301
- So he did an album that he called resurrection and revival,
- 00:24:31.301 --> 00:24:36.134
- And he was resurrecting an old piece of music,
- 00:24:36.234 --> 00:24:39.167
- Reviving it, giving it new life.
- 00:24:39.167 --> 00:24:41.701
- He wanted, you know, the theme of that of the of the album
- 00:24:41.701 --> 00:24:45.668
- Is kind of taking something old and making it new again.
- 00:24:45.668 --> 00:24:49.368
- So he plays harmonica on amazing grace and he
- 00:24:49.501 --> 00:24:52.735
- He does his own version of the star-spangled banner
- 00:24:52.835 --> 00:24:55.601
- On this record, playing harmonica on it.
- 00:24:55.601 --> 00:24:59.034
- It's a gorgeous record.
- 00:24:59.134 --> 00:25:00.967
- After he died, he he never saw it.
- 00:25:00.967 --> 00:25:04.267
- He never saw the album, the actual album.
- 00:25:04.401 --> 00:25:06.568
- He wanted to create some vinyl to be able to give to people.
- 00:25:06.568 --> 00:25:09.735
- He never actually saw it, but he heard all the music.
- 00:25:09.835 --> 00:25:12.768
- And after he died, i found all this other music
- 00:25:12.768 --> 00:25:15.735
- In his files that he had written and tucked away.
- 00:25:15.801 --> 00:25:18.801
- Some i'd heard, but a lot of it i hadn't.
- 00:25:18.801 --> 00:25:21.767
- And so i went to work and said, for mac,
- 00:25:21.934 --> 00:25:26.734
- I'm going to
- 00:25:26.834 --> 00:25:28.801
- I'm going to produce resurrection and revival part
- 00:25:28.801 --> 00:25:31.633
- Two for him.
- 00:25:31.633 --> 00:25:33.768
- And that that has recently come out.
- 00:25:33.768 --> 00:25:37.368
- The albums themselves, the vinyls are being sold
- 00:25:37.468 --> 00:25:40.634
- To the gary sinise foundation because mac wanted
- 00:25:40.634 --> 00:25:43.601
- Proceeds from any sales to go to the gary sinise
- 00:25:43.701 --> 00:25:46.101
- Foundation. he worked for the foundation
- 00:25:46.101 --> 00:25:48.768
- Until he was too sick to continue.
- 00:25:48.768 --> 00:25:51.468
- He started a podcast at the foundation.
- 00:25:51.468 --> 00:25:53.634
- We've resurrected the podcast in his honor now.
- 00:25:53.634 --> 00:25:56.534
- Yeah, and resurrection and revival part two is now out.
- 00:25:56.534 --> 00:26:00.534
- You can download these records, mac sinise resurrection
- 00:26:00.534 --> 00:26:03.868
- And revival and resurrection revival part two.
- 00:26:03.868 --> 00:26:06.835
- You can download them on itunes, spotify, amazon,
- 00:26:06.901 --> 00:26:09.901
- All their digital platforms, and you can order the vinyl
- 00:26:09.901 --> 00:26:13.167
- At the gary sinise foundation website.
- 00:26:13.167 --> 00:26:14.900
- Beautiful, beautiful music.
- 00:26:14.900 --> 00:26:16.601
- Yeah, really, it's fun to listen
- 00:26:16.601 --> 00:26:19.568
- To because it's it's such a variety of music.
- 00:26:19.801 --> 00:26:23.101
- He just had a lot of different musical tastes.
- 00:26:23.234 --> 00:26:26.101
- I think he wanted to write film music.
- 00:26:26.101 --> 00:26:29.368
- So there's a lot of orchestral music on it.
- 00:26:29.468 --> 00:26:31.900
- There's rock music, there's jazz.
- 00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:34.401
- It's a lot of fun to listen to.
- 00:26:34.401 --> 00:26:35.800
- I listen to it
- 00:26:35.800 --> 00:26:37.201
- In my car all the time and never get tired
- 00:26:37.201 --> 00:26:39.101
- Because it's always going someplace else.
- 00:26:39.101 --> 00:26:41.167
- It's going all over the place.
- 00:26:41.167 --> 00:26:42.868
- And that was mac sinise. you really had a lot of
- 00:26:42.868 --> 00:26:45.834
- A lot of vision.
- 00:26:45.934 --> 00:26:47.001
- I miss him more than i can articulate.
- 00:26:47.001 --> 00:26:49.935
- He's such a talented young guy and the apple doesn't fall
- 00:26:50.002 --> 00:26:53.134
- Far from the tree in that regard.
- 00:26:53.134 --> 00:26:55.601
- Gary and i want you know, you probably know this, but millions of people,
- 00:26:55.701 --> 00:26:58.134
- Quite literally, our viewers of tbn, were prayin
- 00:26:58.134 --> 00:27:00.901
- For you and your family throughout everything with mac.
- 00:27:00.901 --> 00:27:03.934
- We can't wait to hear the music, number one.
- 00:27:03.934 --> 00:27:06.368
- Number two, thanks for sharing that.
- 00:27:06.368 --> 00:27:08.134
- And gary, lastly, you're a very busy guy,
- 00:27:08.134 --> 00:27:10.434
- Even though you haven't acted in a few years.
- 00:27:10.434 --> 00:27:12.068
- We miss you on the big screen and the small screen.
- 00:27:12.068 --> 00:27:14.368
- But what's next? what do you have lined up next?
- 00:27:14.368 --> 00:27:16.401
- Now you're traveling a bit with the lieutenant dan band.
- 00:27:16.401 --> 00:27:18.835
- Obviously, the foundation has you very busy.
- 00:27:18.835 --> 00:27:20.768
- Any big projects, the movies coming out, brothers after war.
- 00:27:20.768 --> 00:27:23.967
- Any other big projects we should know about?
- 00:27:23.967 --> 00:27:25.867
- The gary sinise is working on right now?
- 00:27:25.867 --> 00:27:28.800
- There's a couple of
- 00:27:28.900 --> 00:27:29.734
- Other documentaries
- 00:27:29.734 --> 00:27:30.835
- That i'm executive producer on a couple of projects
- 00:27:30.835 --> 00:27:33.901
- That may come to fruition sometime next year.
- 00:27:33.901 --> 00:27:38.167
- In the meantime, i'm continuing to take the band
- 00:27:38.301 --> 00:27:40.868
- Out to play for the troops will be next month
- 00:27:40.868 --> 00:27:43.835
- Will be at the brooke army medical center in san antonio
- 00:27:43.968 --> 00:27:47.267
- For one of our annual festivals
- 00:27:47.267 --> 00:27:49.568
- There where i bring my band and we bring food and we get
- 00:27:49.568 --> 00:27:52.534
- Get the patients out of the hospital.
- 00:27:52.601 --> 00:27:54.134
- That's one of the programs at the gary sinise foundation.
- 00:27:54.134 --> 00:27:57.534
- I have several different tours
- 00:27:57.634 --> 00:27:59.534
- Between now and the end of the year.
- 00:27:59.534 --> 00:28:01.700
- We have multiple programs,
- 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:03.201
- The gary sinise foundation that we're doing.
- 00:28:03.201 --> 00:28:05.934
- Last year we played at the grand ole opry
- 00:28:05.934 --> 00:28:08.900
- For that, the 30th anniversary of forrest gump,
- 00:28:09.167 --> 00:28:13.034
- And the opry wanted to do something with us.
- 00:28:13.167 --> 00:28:16.101
- And so they did.
- 00:28:16.167 --> 00:28:17.034
- An event called
- 00:28:17.034 --> 00:28:18.201
- The opry celebrates 30 years of forrest gump.
- 00:28:18.201 --> 00:28:20.534
- My band played and a bunch of other artists played.
- 00:28:20.534 --> 00:28:23.368
- We all played songs from the forrest gump soundtrack.
- 00:28:23.368 --> 00:28:26.867
- It was a lot of fun. we hope to go back to the opry this year again
- 00:28:27.935 --> 00:28:30.701
- And we have multiple concerts on that, on the books
- 00:28:30.868 --> 00:28:33.600
- And lots of events.
- 00:28:33.600 --> 00:28:34.734
- I'm just all over the place
- 00:28:34.734 --> 00:28:36.501
- And in the meantime, i'm right here at home, at the office.
- 00:28:36.501 --> 00:28:39.301
- That's where i am right now and taking care of the family.
- 00:28:39.301 --> 00:28:42.301
- And my wife has been
- 00:28:42.301 --> 00:28:43.868
- Totally supportive of me all these years doing this.
- 00:28:43.868 --> 00:28:46.968
- If my wife and family hadn't been supportive of me going out
- 00:28:46.968 --> 00:28:50.735
- And leaving home and doing all this work,
- 00:28:50.735 --> 00:28:53.701
- There would be no gary sinise foundation.
- 00:28:53.768 --> 00:28:55.901
- So they get a lot of credit for supporting me in this work.
- 00:28:55.901 --> 00:28:59.101
- Yeah, well, gary, we can't thank them enough.
- 00:28:59.201 --> 00:29:01.067
- We can't thank you enough.
- 00:29:01.067 --> 00:29:02.167
- Living a life of purpose like you've said.
- 00:29:02.167 --> 00:29:04.701
- Gary, keep up the great work. thanks so much for joining us.
- 00:29:04.701 --> 00:29:06.934
- God bless you. and we'll see you again soon.
- 00:29:06.934 --> 00:29:09.501
- I sure appreciate it erick. thank you.
- 00:29:09.501 --> 00:29:11.700
- Thank you.
- 00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:12.001
