Kirk Cameron is joined by award-winning actor Gary Sinise celebrating the independence of our country and how we can continue to support and honor our veterans.
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Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | Gary Sinise: Celebrating Our Freedoms & Supporting our Veterans | Takeaways With Kirk Cameron | June 30, 2025
- Kirk cameron: what do you appreciate most about
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- Our country?
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- Think about all we take for granted living in the land
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- Of the free and the home of the brave.
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- God has truly blessed america and it's good to take a moment
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- And be thankful for the many freedoms we have as we celebrate
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- Our upcoming independence day.
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- As we commemorate this occasion, we're gonna talk with award
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- Winning actor and humanitarian gary sinise about his commitment
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- And support over the years to our country's military personnel
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- And first responders.
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- Let's get to it right now on "takeaways."
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- Gary sinise: we can never do enough for the men and women who
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- Serve our country because where would we be if nobody wanted to
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- Put on the uniform and defend us?
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- Kirk: i'm so excited to welcome award-winning actor and
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- Humanitarian gary sinise to "takeaways."
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- Gary's stage, film, and television career has spanned
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- More than four decades.
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- His portrayal of lieutenant dan taylor in the landmark film
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- "forrest gump" formed an enduring connection with
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- Servicemen and women all throughout the
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- Military community.
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- Gary stood as an advocate on behalf of america's service
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- Members for over 40 years and he's with us today as we look
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- Forward to celebrating our own upcoming independence day.
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- Gary, thanks so much for joining us on "takeaways."
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- Gary: thanks for having me, kirk.
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- Kirk: you know, i have a memory of the last time that we met and
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- We were at an air force base in camarillo, california, i believe
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- That's where it was near point magoo.
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- And the blue angels were there and there was another group.
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- I can't remember exactly who they were, they were like red
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- And white planes.
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- And they were doing this like this.
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- Gary: the thunderbird.
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- Kirk: the thunderbirds, that's right.
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- And they were doing these amazing formations and your
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- Band, lieutenant dan band was there and we got front row seats
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- And you let us stay there in your box and it was awesome.
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- I just...
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- Gary: that's right, yeah, it was the air show out there.
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- We've played there two or three times before.
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- Kirk: and the music was awesome.
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- I mean, the planes were awesome and then the music was awesome,
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- The food was great, and people were so enthusiastic
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- And grateful.
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- It made me feel proud to be an american.
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- Gary: yeah, that's a great event there.
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- It was, you know, i love playing the air shows because the people
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- That go to the air shows are just great, great americans.
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- They're very patriotic themselves and the air shows you
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- Just feel something.
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- You know, when you see the blue angels flying and the
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- Thunderbirds flying and they're doing all kinds of crazy things
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- And the bands are playing and the music is playing,
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- It's wonderful.
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- It lifts you up.
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- Kirk: it really does.
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- Well, i've been looking forward to talking with you.
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- Independence day is coming up and you've had a lot of
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- Experience with military veterans in your own
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- Family, right?
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- You have relatives, uncles, grandparents.
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- Can you give us a little of the background of that?
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- Gary: yeah, yeah, many family members going all the--i had
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- A--my grandfather served in world war i, great uncle in
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- World war i as well.
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- Kirk: world war i, wow.
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- Gary: yeah, both in the army.
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- And then my grandfather met my grandmother at a military base
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- In rockford, illinois, and she was an army nurse and they had
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- Three sons.
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- Two of them went to world war ii, my two uncles and then my
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- Dad served in the navy during the korean war.
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- Then i met my wife.
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- She has got multiple military members on her side of the
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- Family, vietnam era and cold war era.
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- And also a nephew who served in afghanistan.
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- So a lot of military in the family.
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- So a lot of what i'm doing, you know, it kind of just generates
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- From the family and then just spreads out from there.
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- Kirk: yeah, i've got a love for my grandfather who's passed away
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- Now, but he was a navy corpsman and he was deployed with the
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- Fourth marine division in world war ii and was on the island of
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- Iwo jima.
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- And i carry his driver's license in my wallet.
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- And all the stories he would tell us and how one time we went
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- On to google earth and showed grandpa the pillbox that he dove
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- Into on the island of tinian during the war that saved his
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- Life when they were shelling the beaches from up above.
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- And his eyes just went like this because he hadn't seen that
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- Since he was 17-years-old and he's like 85.
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- And it was just, it was amazing.
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- So, memorial day, veterans day, these are special times for us.
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- Gary: my uncle jerry was on a ship in the pacific supporting
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- The marines who were going into iwo jima at that time.
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- So they were there at the same time, probably.
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- Kirk: can you just share a little bit about your
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- Brother-in-law's time in the vietnam war, how that
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- Particularly affected and shaped your views toward veterans?
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- Gary: yeah, three.
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- My wife's two brothers, her older brother was a west
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- Point graduate.
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- Two tours in vietnam in the infantry.
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- And then the younger of the two brothers was a helicopter pilot,
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- Combat helicopter pilot in vietnam, 800 combat hours.
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- And then my wife, my wife's sister, twin sister, fraternal
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- Twin sister, she went into the army and married a vietnam
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- Veteran who was a combat medic in vietnam.
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- And i got to know them pretty, pretty well.
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- Two of them are gone now, but i got to know them all pretty well
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- And they really opened my eyes a lot to what it was like to serve
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- In vietnam and then come home when the nation was very divided
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- Over that war and the vietnam veteran kind of got c-- on
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- And it was a difficult time.
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- And i'll tell you that, just learning from them back in the
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- '80s, early mid '70s and early '80s, it gave me a respect for
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- Our vietnam veterans and an empathy and a desire to do
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- Something to support our vietnam veterans.
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- So that's when i really started jumping in back in the early
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- '80s and helping our vietnam veterans out.
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- Kirk: yeah, what was that tom cruise movie that was about the
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- Vietnam war, "born in the us?"
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- Gary: that's called "born on the fourth of july."
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- Kirk: "born on the fourth of july."
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- Gary: yeah, yeah, many vietnam movies that came out kind of
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- Late '70s, early '80s.
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- And you know what?
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- It's interesting when you look at a lot of the films that came
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- Out, like, well, let's say "platoon", for example, charlie
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- Sheen, remember the end of "platoon", you know, the big bet
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- Battle, a lot of people get killed.
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- Charlie gets on the helicopter and he's taken off and the
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- Camera's on his face and he's looking down and all these
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- People are killed.
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- And you just felt like this guy is gonna have a really rough
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- Time coming home, you know.
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- And so many of the films back then about vietnam, the vietnam
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- Veteran and the experience, you always kind of felt like that.
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- Like that veteran's just not gonna be okay.
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- And then "forrest gump" came along.
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- And you have the story of a vietnam veteran who actually we
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- Hadn't seen that kind of story before.
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- A happy ending of somebody who went off to war, gets wounded,
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- Has a lot of post-traumatic stress, goes through alcohol
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- Abuse and darkness and all that, but at the end of that story,
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- He's standing up, he's moving on.
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- He's a wealthy businessman.
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- He's doing all right.
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- And, you know, i think that resonated with a lot of vietnam
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- Veterans who went through that.
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- You know, they actually were okay when they came home and
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- They were able to move on.
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- Sure there's a lot that, you know, have always struggled, but
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- We hadn't seen the story of people that were able to kind of
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- Overcome that and move forward.
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- Kirk: i know early on in your career as an actor you started
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- Out doing plays as veterans, military veterans, and that led
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- To movie roles as veterans.
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- Talk about that.
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- Gary: i think you're talking--yeah, i started
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- A company with my pals called steppenwolf in chicago.
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- And steppenwolf, very successful, it's over 50 years
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- Old now, just celebrated his 50 year anniversary.
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- Back in the early '80s, because of the vietnam veterans on my
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- Wife's side of the family, i wanted to find a piece of
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- Material to direct that would speak to the vietnam
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- Veteran experience.
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- So i found this play that was written by a group of
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- Vietnam veterans.
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- They were actually performing it in los angeles back in 1980.
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- They had gotten together, only a couple of them were actors.
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- One of them, one of the guys just put an ad in the paper,
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- Said, "i'm looking for vietnam veterans.
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- I want to make a play."
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- And so a bunch of veterans came together and they all talked
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- About their experiences.
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- They made this play and then they started performing it
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- On stage.
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- And i read about it.
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- So i flew out from chicago to see it and i asked them to let
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- Me do it.
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- Eventually, they gave me the rights to do it in chicago.
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- We started rehearsing it in 1983.
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- It went up in 1984.
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- And veterans from everywhere were finding out about it and we
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- Created a night that was free for veterans.
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- And that started a program at the steppenwolf that has lived
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- On for 40 years now where every single play we do at
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- Steppenwolf, the first audience that comes in and sees it for
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- Free, are our veterans and it's called our vet's night.
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- That's what we call it.
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- It came from the days when i was working with vietnam veterans
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- In chicago.
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- Kirk: and then obviously that led to lieutenant dan and
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- "forrest gump" and the role that you played there.
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- And can you talk a little bit about being lieutenant dan and
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- How that has continued to shape your attitude of service toward
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- Veterans and military members.
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- Gary: that play and the vietnam veterans on my wife's side of
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- Family, that really started something for me back in
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- The '80s.
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- I just felt a lot of compassion.
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- And i felt badly, you know, for what happened to our vietnam
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- Veterans when they came home from war.
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- It was a divided time in our nation over the war where there
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- Were a lot of protests, there was a draft going on, you know,
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- It was a difficult time.
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- We're losing, you know, 500 to 1000, you know, service members
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- A week were getting killed.
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- It was a difficult time.
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- And the vietnam veteran kind of got caught in the middle
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- Of that.
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- So i wanted to do something to support them.
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- And so i started supporting them in chicago.
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- And ten years later, ten years goes by and then i have this
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- Opportunity to audition to play a vietnam veteran in "forrest
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- Gump" and having veterans in my family, having been through
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- Those experiences in chicago, i just wanted to like, i wanted
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- That part that badly.
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- I was lucky to get it.
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- That led to me starting to work with our wounded because
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- Lieutenant dan was a wounded service member and a soldier and
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- So i started working with our wounded through the disabled
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- American veterans organization.
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- And those are the early seeds that were planted that
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- Eventually led to, you know, kind of a full-time mission and
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- The creation of a full-time foundation.
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- Kirk: that's awesome.
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- Gary: yeah, it's good, it's good stuff.
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- Kirk: that's awesome.
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- But, you know, i just have a sense about you.
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- We don't know each other that well, but there's an
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- Authenticity about you and just a realness.
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- I don't feel like i'm talking to an actor who does some good
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- Benevolent things, but a top shelf human being who likes to
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- Act on the side too and i'm really, really honored by that.
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- Listen, after the break, gary's gonna share more about his
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- Efforts to support our military veterans and first responders
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- Through his work at his foundation.
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- So stay with us.
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- Kirk: welcome back.
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- We're talking with gary sinise and his commitment in supporting
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- All those who protect our freedoms and serve our country.
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- Gary, i mentioned earlier about seeing your band and listening.
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- And man, i didn't wanna leave.
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- It was so good.
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- You have so many great talented people surrounding you in
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- That band.
- 00:11:58.087 --> 00:11:59.422
- And man, it was just awesome.
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- Can you tell us.
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- Gary: i'm no fool.
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- I'm the only, i'm the only amateur non-professional
- 00:12:04.794 --> 00:12:07.697
- Musician in the band.
- 00:12:07.697 --> 00:12:09.065
- Kirk: i don't know about that, no, no, no.
- 00:12:09.065 --> 00:12:12.268
- Everybody was just fantastic.
- 00:12:12.268 --> 00:12:14.003
- And give us the story.
- 00:12:14.003 --> 00:12:15.738
- How did the lieutenant dan band get started?
- 00:12:15.738 --> 00:12:18.140
- Gary: it was just, you know, i was doing a play in chicago back
- 00:12:18.140 --> 00:12:24.947
- In the late '90s.
- 00:12:24.947 --> 00:12:26.983
- And the guy who composed the music for the play, his name was
- 00:12:26.983 --> 00:12:34.056
- Kimo williams, and he heard that i had played bass.
- 00:12:34.056 --> 00:12:37.793
- And he was a bass player, but he liked to play guitar too.
- 00:12:37.793 --> 00:12:40.963
- So he invited me over to his house to just kind of jam when
- 00:12:40.963 --> 00:12:45.034
- The show was over.
- 00:12:45.034 --> 00:12:46.435
- And he invited some of his musician pals and we started--we
- 00:12:46.435 --> 00:12:49.805
- Would get together every once in a while and jam.
- 00:12:49.805 --> 00:12:52.842
- And then september 11 happened and i wanted to, you know,
- 00:12:52.842 --> 00:12:56.879
- Having been involved with veterans in the '80s and '90s,
- 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:00.716
- I wanted to get involved and support the men and women who
- 00:13:00.716 --> 00:13:03.753
- Were deploying to iraq and afghanistan.
- 00:13:03.753 --> 00:13:05.888
- And so i started visiting them and i would shake hands, take
- 00:13:05.888 --> 00:13:09.558
- Pictures, go out there and just sit with them and visit the war
- 00:13:09.558 --> 00:13:14.063
- Zones and all of that.
- 00:13:14.063 --> 00:13:16.532
- And the first tour i was on, kid rock was on that tour and lee
- 00:13:16.532 --> 00:13:21.070
- Ann womack and others that were performing, and i was just like
- 00:13:21.070 --> 00:13:25.107
- Lieutenant dan shaking hands and stuff, tagging along.
- 00:13:25.107 --> 00:13:30.146
- So i just kept doing tours and i finally talked to--i said to the
- 00:13:30.146 --> 00:13:34.984
- Uso folks, "you know, i play a little bit and i have some
- 00:13:34.984 --> 00:13:37.887
- People that i play with.
- 00:13:37.887 --> 00:13:39.355
- Could i take them on a tour?"
- 00:13:39.355 --> 00:13:41.390
- And eventually they gave in and said, okay, and they let me take
- 00:13:41.390 --> 00:13:44.894
- 'em on a tour.
- 00:13:44.894 --> 00:13:46.262
- And i started touring with the band 2004.
- 00:13:46.262 --> 00:13:49.932
- February of 2004, we went overseas.
- 00:13:49.932 --> 00:13:53.069
- And now we've done almost 600 shows on military bases and
- 00:13:53.069 --> 00:13:56.572
- Military hospitals.
- 00:13:56.572 --> 00:13:57.940
- The band's part of my foundation.
- 00:13:57.940 --> 00:13:59.875
- You know, we do about 25 to 30 shows a year on military bases
- 00:13:59.875 --> 00:14:04.647
- And the hospitals we have for years now.
- 00:14:04.647 --> 00:14:07.950
- Kirk: that's awesome.
- 00:14:07.950 --> 00:14:09.285
- Gary: oh, it's a great band.
- 00:14:09.285 --> 00:14:10.653
- And everybody, like i said, i mean, you heard it there,
- 00:14:10.653 --> 00:14:12.121
- The singers are all great, the musicians are all great.
- 00:14:12.121 --> 00:14:15.091
- Kirk: top shelf.
- 00:14:15.091 --> 00:14:16.459
- Gary: we play great songs.
- 00:14:16.459 --> 00:14:17.793
- Everybody loves the music we play.
- 00:14:17.793 --> 00:14:19.161
- Kirk: absolutely, yeah.
- 00:14:19.161 --> 00:14:20.496
- I mean, it gives you this great just feeling of, you know,
- 00:14:20.496 --> 00:14:22.264
- You love your country.
- 00:14:22.264 --> 00:14:23.632
- It just fills your heart with gratitude.
- 00:14:23.632 --> 00:14:24.967
- It's like faith, family, country, freedom.
- 00:14:24.967 --> 00:14:27.236
- It's actually--
- 00:14:27.236 --> 00:14:28.571
- Gary: the whole thing is about lifting people up.
- 00:14:28.571 --> 00:14:30.239
- I mean, that's what my whole mission is.
- 00:14:30.239 --> 00:14:32.475
- You know, whether i'm walking into a hospital room or,
- 00:14:32.475 --> 00:14:36.245
- You know, rocking out in front of a crowd with a band.
- 00:14:36.245 --> 00:14:38.948
- It's all about just lifting people up and making them
- 00:14:38.948 --> 00:14:41.417
- Feel better.
- 00:14:41.417 --> 00:14:42.785
- Kirk: and as part of of your efforts to support our troops
- 00:14:42.785 --> 00:14:44.820
- And our military and veterans, you've established the gary
- 00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:47.056
- Sinise foundation, as you said.
- 00:14:47.056 --> 00:14:48.691
- Can you talk to us a little bit more about what the foundation
- 00:14:48.691 --> 00:14:50.693
- Is and what all you do?
- 00:14:50.693 --> 00:14:52.761
- Gary: the foundation kind of grew out of a lot of the things
- 00:14:52.761 --> 00:14:55.664
- I was doing in the '80s and '90s and early 2000 post september 11
- 00:14:55.664 --> 00:15:02.638
- And all of that.
- 00:15:02.638 --> 00:15:05.074
- You know, like i said, i got involved with veterans in the
- 00:15:05.074 --> 00:15:07.977
- '80s, i have veterans in my family, then i played the
- 00:15:07.977 --> 00:15:11.647
- Veteran in the '90s.
- 00:15:11.647 --> 00:15:13.015
- I got involved with supporting our wounded.
- 00:15:13.015 --> 00:15:15.818
- There's an organization called the d-a-v, disabled
- 00:15:15.818 --> 00:15:18.354
- American veterans.
- 00:15:18.354 --> 00:15:20.389
- They invited me to their national convention in 1994 and
- 00:15:20.389 --> 00:15:24.426
- I walk out on the stage.
- 00:15:24.426 --> 00:15:26.228
- They wanted to give me an award for playing lieutenant dan.
- 00:15:26.228 --> 00:15:29.265
- I walk out on the stage.
- 00:15:29.265 --> 00:15:30.633
- There's 2000 wounded veterans going all the way back to world
- 00:15:30.633 --> 00:15:33.035
- War ii that are in the ballroom and they're all cheering.
- 00:15:33.035 --> 00:15:36.005
- And it was very moving and i was impacted greatly by it.
- 00:15:36.005 --> 00:15:40.242
- And so i wanted to support them.
- 00:15:40.242 --> 00:15:41.844
- And then september 11 happened and we're deploying to iraq
- 00:15:41.844 --> 00:15:45.114
- And afghanistan.
- 00:15:45.114 --> 00:15:46.448
- People are getting hurt and killed.
- 00:15:46.448 --> 00:15:47.816
- I raised my hand for the usl.
- 00:15:47.816 --> 00:15:49.485
- I start saying, "just send me out, you know, i wanna go."
- 00:15:49.485 --> 00:15:53.222
- And so i started visiting the troops in the war zones and
- 00:15:53.222 --> 00:15:56.025
- Going to the hospitals and doing all that.
- 00:15:56.025 --> 00:15:57.993
- I started finding other nonprofits that i could as
- 00:15:57.993 --> 00:16:02.398
- An actor who has a little bit of the spotlight.
- 00:16:02.398 --> 00:16:04.400
- I could kind of help them raise money, do psas, raise awareness
- 00:16:04.400 --> 00:16:09.772
- For what they were doing.
- 00:16:09.772 --> 00:16:11.140
- I learned a lot about all these different needs in the military
- 00:16:11.140 --> 00:16:14.510
- And veteran first responder communities by getting involved
- 00:16:14.510 --> 00:16:17.813
- In a lot of other nonprofits.
- 00:16:17.813 --> 00:16:19.481
- And then, you know, ten, 12 years down the road, it just
- 00:16:19.481 --> 00:16:23.786
- Became clear that i should start my own organization.
- 00:16:23.786 --> 00:16:26.889
- So we launched the gary sinise foundation in 2011.
- 00:16:26.889 --> 00:16:29.858
- We're just about at the end of our 15th year.
- 00:16:29.858 --> 00:16:33.562
- We've raised hundreds of millions of dollars and deployed
- 00:16:33.562 --> 00:16:35.965
- It all over the place to help people.
- 00:16:35.965 --> 00:16:38.000
- Kirk: wow, that's awesome.
- 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.368
- Gary: it's a good thing.
- 00:16:39.368 --> 00:16:40.703
- Kirk: that's so good.
- 00:16:40.703 --> 00:16:42.571
- If you don't mind me asking a personal question, what are some
- 00:16:42.571 --> 00:16:46.475
- Of the things that in all of your visits with military
- 00:16:46.475 --> 00:16:49.178
- Members that you admire personally about servicemen
- 00:16:49.178 --> 00:16:53.249
- And servicewomen?
- 00:16:53.249 --> 00:16:55.251
- Gary: many are very selfless.
- 00:16:55.251 --> 00:16:57.720
- You know, they join the military for various reasons.
- 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:01.657
- Not everybody joins for the same reason.
- 00:17:01.657 --> 00:17:04.226
- They have different reasons for joining.
- 00:17:04.226 --> 00:17:06.595
- But as time goes on and you start to get to know people that
- 00:17:06.595 --> 00:17:11.200
- Are involved in military life, they've dedicated their
- 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:16.238
- Lives now.
- 00:17:16.238 --> 00:17:17.606
- Some people come in, they do their four years and they move
- 00:17:17.606 --> 00:17:19.808
- On, you know, but others make a career out of it.
- 00:17:19.808 --> 00:17:22.278
- And many of them that do, come from a long line of
- 00:17:22.278 --> 00:17:26.382
- Family history.
- 00:17:26.382 --> 00:17:27.750
- You know, my dad was in, my brother was in, my uncle was in,
- 00:17:27.750 --> 00:17:30.552
- You know, all that and they're following in the family
- 00:17:30.552 --> 00:17:32.921
- Foot footsteps.
- 00:17:32.921 --> 00:17:34.623
- So they're there to serve.
- 00:17:34.623 --> 00:17:37.693
- Service above themselves.
- 00:17:37.693 --> 00:17:39.228
- And that's an important aspect of it.
- 00:17:39.228 --> 00:17:42.598
- And i grew, you know, i've grown to admire quite a few members of
- 00:17:42.598 --> 00:17:46.635
- The military that i've gotten to know over the years and befriend
- 00:17:46.635 --> 00:17:50.339
- And become like great pals with.
- 00:17:50.339 --> 00:17:52.908
- Some of my best friends are veterans or first responders,
- 00:17:52.908 --> 00:17:57.212
- Firefighters, whatever.
- 00:17:57.212 --> 00:17:59.081
- And they all have this kind of this thing that unifies them as
- 00:17:59.081 --> 00:18:02.084
- This sense that they just wanna serve something that's larger
- 00:18:02.084 --> 00:18:07.256
- Than their own thing.
- 00:18:07.256 --> 00:18:08.590
- And i admire that.
- 00:18:08.590 --> 00:18:10.759
- I admire that a lot.
- 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:12.328
- Kirk: i do too.
- 00:18:12.328 --> 00:18:13.662
- I feel compelled every time i see a vet with one of those hats
- 00:18:13.662 --> 00:18:16.865
- On from vietnam or somewhere or with, you know, an amputated
- 00:18:16.865 --> 00:18:22.805
- Limb to go up to them in an airport or wherever it is and
- 00:18:22.805 --> 00:18:25.507
- Just thank them for their service and it gives me
- 00:18:25.507 --> 00:18:27.576
- Goosebumps when see 'em, you know, and i always feel
- 00:18:27.576 --> 00:18:30.979
- So grateful for...
- 00:18:30.979 --> 00:18:32.348
- Gary: i get that.
- 00:18:32.348 --> 00:18:33.682
- Kirk: the sacrifices that they have made.
- 00:18:33.682 --> 00:18:36.585
- I'm thinking of jesus who said, "greater love has no one than
- 00:18:36.585 --> 00:18:39.855
- This that he'll lay down his life for his friends."
- 00:18:39.855 --> 00:18:41.390
- And i think of the military members, particularly the combat
- 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:43.492
- Soldiers who are risking their own lives to protect my freedoms
- 00:18:43.492 --> 00:18:47.296
- And to protect your freedoms.
- 00:18:47.296 --> 00:18:49.631
- Are there any particular individuals whose stories have
- 00:18:49.631 --> 00:18:53.369
- Really impacted you through all of your visits.
- 00:18:53.369 --> 00:18:56.405
- Either something that they went through or an attitude after
- 00:18:56.405 --> 00:19:00.709
- They went through it that has been inspiring to you?
- 00:19:00.709 --> 00:19:05.214
- Gary: how much time do you have? [laughing]
- 00:19:05.214 --> 00:19:06.715
- Kirk: just, just one.
- 00:19:06.715 --> 00:19:08.283
- Just one.
- 00:19:08.283 --> 00:19:09.618
- Pick any one.
- 00:19:09.618 --> 00:19:10.986
- Gary: i mean, i've met so many who have inspired me and
- 00:19:10.986 --> 00:19:13.055
- Motivated me to do what i'm doing.
- 00:19:13.055 --> 00:19:15.991
- That's, you know, if i hadn't been inspired by that,
- 00:19:15.991 --> 00:19:18.994
- I wouldn't have kept at it or if i hadn't felt like what i was
- 00:19:18.994 --> 00:19:22.598
- Doing was making an impact.
- 00:19:22.598 --> 00:19:25.567
- Let me talk about some of the wounded soldiers that i've met.
- 00:19:25.567 --> 00:19:32.207
- We build specially adapted smart technology, mortgage-free houses
- 00:19:32.207 --> 00:19:37.079
- For those who have been badly wounded.
- 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:39.214
- And i got involved in that because there was a group of
- 00:19:39.214 --> 00:19:44.386
- Service members who had lost, they were quadruple amputees,
- 00:19:44.386 --> 00:19:48.457
- Both arms and both legs.
- 00:19:48.457 --> 00:19:50.793
- And we started raising money to build homes, specially adapted
- 00:19:50.793 --> 00:19:55.164
- Homes for them.
- 00:19:55.164 --> 00:19:56.498
- They were gonna obviously have life challenges going forward.
- 00:19:56.498 --> 00:20:00.836
- I'll pick one.
- 00:20:00.836 --> 00:20:02.171
- I mean, the first five homes i got involved with were all
- 00:20:02.171 --> 00:20:06.208
- Quadruple amputees.
- 00:20:06.208 --> 00:20:08.677
- The first one was, i actually met at walter reed in 2009,
- 00:20:08.677 --> 00:20:16.418
- April of 2009.
- 00:20:16.418 --> 00:20:18.720
- He was the first to survive, losing both arms and both legs.
- 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.658
- His name is brendan morocco.
- 00:20:22.658 --> 00:20:25.561
- And i got involved in helping to raise money with a concert with
- 00:20:25.561 --> 00:20:29.531
- My band for brendan to build him a special house.
- 00:20:29.531 --> 00:20:33.902
- While i was getting ready to do that concert, there was another
- 00:20:33.902 --> 00:20:36.271
- Wounded marine that came in.
- 00:20:36.271 --> 00:20:37.706
- He had the same injury in both arms and both legs.
- 00:20:37.706 --> 00:20:40.709
- We built a house for him.
- 00:20:40.709 --> 00:20:42.644
- And we ended up then there ended up being five of them and we
- 00:20:42.644 --> 00:20:47.049
- Built five houses for five quadruple amputees.
- 00:20:47.049 --> 00:20:50.986
- And then just went from there and just started addressing the
- 00:20:50.986 --> 00:20:54.156
- Needs where we could of all those who were being
- 00:20:54.156 --> 00:20:57.359
- Catastrophically very severely injured from their service.
- 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:01.964
- And we didn't want them to struggle and these, you know,
- 00:21:01.964 --> 00:21:06.602
- These homes are specially designed to meet their needs,
- 00:21:06.602 --> 00:21:10.572
- To make things a lot easier for them and for their families.
- 00:21:10.572 --> 00:21:14.142
- Kirk: yeah, gary, how can people better support veterans in
- 00:21:14.142 --> 00:21:19.014
- Simple ways and how can they support the gary
- 00:21:19.014 --> 00:21:21.383
- Sinise foundation?
- 00:21:21.383 --> 00:21:23.418
- Gary: well, there are multiple organizations out there that you
- 00:21:23.418 --> 00:21:27.489
- Can support that are doing good things for the military.
- 00:21:27.489 --> 00:21:30.626
- Gary sinise foundation, i'd recommend people go to our
- 00:21:30.626 --> 00:21:33.595
- Website and see what we're doing.
- 00:21:33.595 --> 00:21:35.497
- But you know what, kirk?
- 00:21:35.497 --> 00:21:36.832
- What i always say to somebody is to kind of do what i did in
- 00:21:36.832 --> 00:21:42.638
- The beginning.
- 00:21:42.638 --> 00:21:43.972
- I mean, not everybody has a public platform that, you know,
- 00:21:43.972 --> 00:21:46.475
- You can use it to do this or that or not everybody can go to
- 00:21:46.475 --> 00:21:51.346
- The war zones or visit the hospitals, but there are
- 00:21:51.346 --> 00:21:55.217
- Veterans in every community, in every neighborhood, and every
- 00:21:55.217 --> 00:21:58.487
- Town and city across this country.
- 00:21:58.487 --> 00:22:00.389
- And there are veterans and military families who may be
- 00:22:00.389 --> 00:22:03.792
- Struggling and may be having some difficulties.
- 00:22:03.792 --> 00:22:07.696
- And i always recommend people just to do the local thing,
- 00:22:07.696 --> 00:22:11.600
- To start locally.
- 00:22:11.600 --> 00:22:12.968
- You can always donate, but if everybody in every neighborhood,
- 00:22:12.968 --> 00:22:16.872
- You know, every town and city, made it--took on some
- 00:22:16.872 --> 00:22:20.542
- Responsibility to identify and support those who have served
- 00:22:20.542 --> 00:22:25.547
- Our country and who may be having some challenges, the
- 00:22:25.547 --> 00:22:30.052
- Veteran difficulties in the veteran community would be
- 00:22:30.052 --> 00:22:33.889
- Greatly reduced if we all took a little bit of responsibility to
- 00:22:33.889 --> 00:22:37.292
- Reach out and touch these military families.
- 00:22:37.292 --> 00:22:39.728
- They are, after all, our freedom providers.
- 00:22:39.728 --> 00:22:43.131
- They sacrifice, they willingly go and put their life on the
- 00:22:43.131 --> 00:22:47.536
- Line for us.
- 00:22:47.536 --> 00:22:48.870
- They all know that that's what they're signing up for.
- 00:22:48.870 --> 00:22:52.374
- Sometimes they get hurt, sometimes families lose them.
- 00:22:52.374 --> 00:22:55.744
- And i feel like, okay, if i'm a beneficiary of what they do to
- 00:22:55.744 --> 00:23:00.549
- Protect us and defend us, i can do something to give back.
- 00:23:00.549 --> 00:23:04.086
- And i would, i would just recommend to everybody just look
- 00:23:04.086 --> 00:23:07.489
- Within your own town, you know, there are veterans everywhere
- 00:23:07.489 --> 00:23:10.826
- And they may be in need of some support and chances are they
- 00:23:10.826 --> 00:23:15.097
- Won't ever ask for it.
- 00:23:15.097 --> 00:23:16.732
- So being proactive about reaching out to them is
- 00:23:16.732 --> 00:23:19.568
- Something that we can do to help.
- 00:23:19.568 --> 00:23:21.436
- Kirk: thank you.
- 00:23:21.436 --> 00:23:22.938
- We're gonna talk more with gary about how we can all better
- 00:23:22.938 --> 00:23:25.674
- Support our veterans right after the break.
- 00:23:25.674 --> 00:23:27.609
- Don't go away.
- 00:23:27.609 --> 00:23:33.482
- Kirk: joining me now is elan sobel, the ceo of bio harvest
- 00:23:36.918 --> 00:23:40.956
- Sciences, the makers of vinia, the red grape circulation
- 00:23:40.956 --> 00:23:45.127
- Superfood that affects our blood flow, our brain, our gut health,
- 00:23:45.127 --> 00:23:49.631
- And every aspect of our well-being.
- 00:23:49.631 --> 00:23:52.567
- Elan, i'm really intrigued by bio harvest sciences and the
- 00:23:52.567 --> 00:23:57.839
- Fact that you have invested 17 years and over $100 million to
- 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:03.879
- Innovate this product, vinia.
- 00:24:03.879 --> 00:24:06.281
- What is it and why is everyone so excited about it?
- 00:24:06.281 --> 00:24:08.517
- Elan sobel: wow, vinia is probably the best manifestation
- 00:24:08.517 --> 00:24:12.854
- Of how scripture and science come together.
- 00:24:12.854 --> 00:24:15.957
- So let's go back to creation, if you don't mind, for
- 00:24:15.957 --> 00:24:18.827
- A moment, kirk.
- 00:24:18.827 --> 00:24:20.195
- On day three of creation, god gave us 500,000 plants and each
- 00:24:20.195 --> 00:24:25.434
- Of those plants are like treasures.
- 00:24:25.434 --> 00:24:28.303
- Every plant has critical phytonutrients that are so
- 00:24:28.303 --> 00:24:32.140
- Important for our health and wellness.
- 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:34.076
- We at bio harvest sciences have spent more than $100 million on
- 00:24:34.076 --> 00:24:38.246
- A technology that we call botanical synthesis.
- 00:24:38.246 --> 00:24:41.516
- And we're able to understand exactly where inside the plant
- 00:24:41.516 --> 00:24:44.286
- Are the critical cells that produce those very important
- 00:24:44.286 --> 00:24:47.923
- Phytonutrients for the human body.
- 00:24:47.923 --> 00:24:50.292
- So in the case of the red grape, we took cells from the
- 00:24:50.292 --> 00:24:53.762
- Red grape.
- 00:24:53.762 --> 00:24:55.130
- The critical cells that produce the important phytonutrients,
- 00:24:55.130 --> 00:24:58.066
- In this case it's the piceid resveratrol.
- 00:24:58.066 --> 00:25:00.035
- So in the case of vinia, we magnified the piceid resveratrol
- 00:25:00.035 --> 00:25:04.673
- 100 times and we're left with this amazing capsule, which has
- 00:25:04.673 --> 00:25:09.377
- The same amount of piceid resveratrol as 1000 red grapes,
- 00:25:09.377 --> 00:25:12.781
- Pretty much what we have here in the glass container and one
- 00:25:12.781 --> 00:25:17.052
- Bottle of red wine.
- 00:25:17.052 --> 00:25:19.087
- Of course, no sugar, no calories, no alcohol.
- 00:25:19.087 --> 00:25:20.689
- And as a science-based company, we conducted clinical trials and
- 00:25:20.689 --> 00:25:26.394
- We were able to demonstrate that after taking one capsule of
- 00:25:26.394 --> 00:25:29.531
- Vinia every single day, we increased the dilation of your
- 00:25:29.531 --> 00:25:33.668
- Arteries significantly.
- 00:25:33.668 --> 00:25:35.637
- You want that blood flow flowing 'cause more blood flow means
- 00:25:35.637 --> 00:25:38.406
- More oxygen and nutrients being delivered to all your body
- 00:25:38.406 --> 00:25:41.977
- Tissue cells and organs and that's more physical energy and
- 00:25:41.977 --> 00:25:45.647
- More mental alertness.
- 00:25:45.647 --> 00:25:46.982
- And in today's world, who doesn't need more physical
- 00:25:46.982 --> 00:25:50.051
- Energy and mental alertness?
- 00:25:50.051 --> 00:25:51.386
- Kirk: that's right. that's right.
- 00:25:51.386 --> 00:25:53.755
- I'm inspired by the way bio harvest sciences thinks and the
- 00:25:53.755 --> 00:25:57.359
- Motivation for a product like vinia.
- 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:59.928
- I'm also inspired by your give back campaign that you have
- 00:25:59.928 --> 00:26:04.232
- Launched through vinia called vinia heroes.
- 00:26:04.232 --> 00:26:06.768
- Tell us about that.
- 00:26:06.768 --> 00:26:08.136
- Elan: it all starts with isaiah.
- 00:26:08.136 --> 00:26:10.405
- Isaiah talks about the nation of israel needing to be a shining
- 00:26:10.405 --> 00:26:14.643
- Light to all other nations.
- 00:26:14.643 --> 00:26:16.978
- And this is something that, you know, as a people we take very
- 00:26:16.978 --> 00:26:20.182
- Very seriously and it's something that we strive for all
- 00:26:20.182 --> 00:26:22.918
- The time.
- 00:26:22.918 --> 00:26:24.252
- It's something that we gotta do better and better at every
- 00:26:24.252 --> 00:26:26.188
- Single day and that's something that we at bio harvest sciences,
- 00:26:26.188 --> 00:26:29.925
- We take very very seriously as part of our own dna.
- 00:26:29.925 --> 00:26:33.361
- And with this mindset, i as ceo have the privilege of seeing
- 00:26:33.361 --> 00:26:39.634
- Every single customer review that comes into our company.
- 00:26:39.634 --> 00:26:43.538
- And i started to hear those beautiful stories of our
- 00:26:43.538 --> 00:26:47.509
- Customers that were utilizing vinia in their day to day lives,
- 00:26:47.509 --> 00:26:52.247
- In jobs where they served the community in ways that were just
- 00:26:52.247 --> 00:26:56.017
- So inspiring.
- 00:26:56.017 --> 00:26:57.853
- And this goes back to something culturally which is so unique
- 00:26:57.853 --> 00:27:01.089
- About the united states of america, which is the respect
- 00:27:01.089 --> 00:27:03.158
- That people have here for first response.
- 00:27:03.158 --> 00:27:06.161
- And when you think about it, first responders are the people
- 00:27:06.161 --> 00:27:08.496
- That are protecting empowering our community and building our
- 00:27:08.496 --> 00:27:11.600
- Community every single day.
- 00:27:11.600 --> 00:27:13.368
- And we started to see how first responders, firefighters, er
- 00:27:13.368 --> 00:27:18.240
- Personnel, veterans, military were utilizing our vinia every
- 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:23.545
- Single day to be able to do their jobs better, that more
- 00:27:23.545 --> 00:27:27.849
- Physical energy.
- 00:27:27.849 --> 00:27:29.184
- Think about an er, er nurse working in triage.
- 00:27:29.184 --> 00:27:32.053
- Need the physical energy and mental alertness you need when
- 00:27:32.053 --> 00:27:34.756
- You've got so many things coming at you.
- 00:27:34.756 --> 00:27:36.491
- And i remember reading a story about one of these amazing er
- 00:27:36.491 --> 00:27:40.028
- Heroes and how she was utilizing vinia to just get through such
- 00:27:40.028 --> 00:27:44.132
- A challenging day because of the need for more physical energy
- 00:27:44.132 --> 00:27:46.968
- And mental alertness coming from the better blood flow.
- 00:27:46.968 --> 00:27:50.305
- And i pulled the team together and i said, "look, we have to do
- 00:27:50.305 --> 00:27:53.575
- More to serve the community that we're doing business with every
- 00:27:53.575 --> 00:27:57.712
- Single day."
- 00:27:57.712 --> 00:27:59.047
- It's all about giving back to the community.
- 00:27:59.047 --> 00:28:00.949
- And we decided going back to isaiah that we need to be
- 00:28:00.949 --> 00:28:03.418
- A shining light and we needed to set the example here in the
- 00:28:03.418 --> 00:28:06.354
- United states of america.
- 00:28:06.354 --> 00:28:07.822
- And we decided to give all first responders a 20% discount
- 00:28:07.822 --> 00:28:14.195
- For life.
- 00:28:14.195 --> 00:28:15.530
- Kirk: for life?
- 00:28:15.530 --> 00:28:16.898
- Elan: so kirk, it's not one time, it's not two times,
- 00:28:16.898 --> 00:28:18.366
- It's not three times, it's for life.
- 00:28:18.366 --> 00:28:20.669
- Once you're a first responder, including veterans, you're
- 00:28:20.669 --> 00:28:25.140
- Getting 20% off your vinia for life.
- 00:28:25.140 --> 00:28:27.575
- We decided there's a critical occupation here in the united
- 00:28:27.575 --> 00:28:31.546
- States of america and all over the world, which really is
- 00:28:31.546 --> 00:28:36.084
- A catalyst for building the value system of our children.
- 00:28:36.084 --> 00:28:39.854
- And as a father of three and yourself having a big family, we
- 00:28:39.854 --> 00:28:44.326
- Decided to include teachers.
- 00:28:44.326 --> 00:28:46.828
- And this also, you know, comes back on a personal level.
- 00:28:46.828 --> 00:28:50.298
- My mother was a great school teacher in her day and i
- 00:28:50.298 --> 00:28:54.469
- Understood just the passion and the energy that you're putting
- 00:28:54.469 --> 00:28:59.007
- Into navigating 30, 40 kids in a class.
- 00:28:59.007 --> 00:29:03.578
- These teachers are amazing and they need the benefits of blood
- 00:29:03.578 --> 00:29:07.949
- Flow from vinia to have the physical energy and the mental
- 00:29:07.949 --> 00:29:10.652
- Alertness to bring out the best in our children because if we
- 00:29:10.652 --> 00:29:13.688
- Can bring out the best in our children, we're gonna bring out
- 00:29:13.688 --> 00:29:16.424
- The best in our communities and in our country.
- 00:29:16.424 --> 00:29:19.094
- And that's why we added 3.5 million teachers across the
- 00:29:19.094 --> 00:29:23.531
- United states of america into that pool who qualify for our
- 00:29:23.531 --> 00:29:26.701
- 20% off for life in addition to the first response.
- 00:29:26.701 --> 00:29:30.739
- Kirk: this is really exciting to me personally because my
- 00:29:30.739 --> 00:29:32.874
- Grandfather was a teacher, my grandmother was a teacher, and
- 00:29:32.874 --> 00:29:35.176
- My father is a teacher, and my aunt and uncle are first
- 00:29:35.176 --> 00:29:37.812
- Responders and my mother's father was a marine in world
- 00:29:37.812 --> 00:29:41.750
- War ii.
- 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:43.118
- This is really incredible.
- 00:29:43.118 --> 00:29:44.719
- How do people get a hold of this 20% discount?
- 00:29:44.719 --> 00:29:47.155
- Elan: you go into our website, depending on if you're a teacher
- 00:29:47.155 --> 00:29:50.358
- Or you're a firefighter or a police officer, every single one
- 00:29:50.358 --> 00:29:54.462
- Of these critical first responder occupations have
- 00:29:54.462 --> 00:29:58.466
- A unique id.
- 00:29:58.466 --> 00:29:59.801
- You enter your id and you qualify.
- 00:29:59.801 --> 00:30:01.736
- And then off you go, kirk, 20% off for life.
- 00:30:01.736 --> 00:30:04.939
- And that's really our deep mission to really live the word
- 00:30:04.939 --> 00:30:09.711
- Of isaiah and to really bring the power of our technology to
- 00:30:09.711 --> 00:30:14.382
- People that deserve it the most.
- 00:30:14.382 --> 00:30:16.985
- Kirk: elan, thank you so much.
- 00:30:16.985 --> 00:30:18.386
- This is fantastic.
- 00:30:18.386 --> 00:30:19.721
- If you wanna learn more about vinia and the special heroes
- 00:30:19.721 --> 00:30:23.291
- Discount, please visit viniatbn.com.
- 00:30:23.291 --> 00:30:26.628
- Also, i want you to know that a significant portion of your
- 00:30:26.628 --> 00:30:29.397
- Purchase goes to tbn to support the mission of spreading the
- 00:30:29.397 --> 00:30:33.701
- Gospel around the world.
- 00:30:33.701 --> 00:30:35.437
- Stay with us after the break.
- 00:30:35.437 --> 00:30:39.151
- Stay with us after the break.
- 00:30:39.151 --> 00:30:47.082
- Kirk: we're back with producer, director, and award winning
- 00:30:47.182 --> 00:30:48.216
- Actor gary sinise.
- 00:30:50.118 --> 00:30:51.719
- Well gary, i've really been looking forward to the time we
- 00:30:51.719 --> 00:30:54.856
- Can talk about your son and about his music.
- 00:30:54.856 --> 00:30:58.460
- This album "max sinise resurrection and revival."
- 00:30:58.460 --> 00:31:03.164
- You had some tragic things happen and your son has been
- 00:31:03.164 --> 00:31:11.306
- Honored through your producing of some of his beautiful music.
- 00:31:11.306 --> 00:31:14.509
- Can you tell us a little bit about that and tell us how
- 00:31:14.509 --> 00:31:16.478
- You're doing through all of this?
- 00:31:16.478 --> 00:31:19.147
- Gary: well, this, yeah, it's been a challenging time.
- 00:31:19.147 --> 00:31:22.951
- He had a very rare cancer called cordoma.
- 00:31:22.951 --> 00:31:26.654
- And, you know, maybe, i mean, what he had is under 100 people
- 00:31:26.654 --> 00:31:31.259
- Per year in the us are diagnosed with the metastatic cordoma.
- 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:36.898
- So it's incurable.
- 00:31:36.898 --> 00:31:38.433
- There's no drugs being developed for a cancer that affects
- 00:31:38.433 --> 00:31:42.137
- 90 people a year.
- 00:31:42.137 --> 00:31:43.671
- So they try to treat it with whatever, you know, they look at
- 00:31:43.671 --> 00:31:48.109
- The markers and try to throw other drugs at it.
- 00:31:48.109 --> 00:31:51.846
- But you're in a, you're in a tough spot, and mac was in
- 00:31:51.846 --> 00:31:55.116
- A tough fight for about six years after we discovered what
- 00:31:55.116 --> 00:32:00.121
- Was going on.
- 00:32:00.121 --> 00:32:01.489
- He's a tremendous musician and drummer.
- 00:32:01.489 --> 00:32:05.059
- He started drumming from the time he was 9-years-old.
- 00:32:05.059 --> 00:32:09.063
- I put him on the drum set when he was the first time put him
- 00:32:09.063 --> 00:32:12.400
- On the drum set and taught him the basic rock beat.
- 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:15.937
- And he could do it right away.
- 00:32:15.937 --> 00:32:17.605
- He could coordinate, you know, you'd do different things with
- 00:32:17.605 --> 00:32:20.842
- Different limbs, right?
- 00:32:20.842 --> 00:32:22.277
- And he could do it right away.
- 00:32:22.277 --> 00:32:23.645
- So he picked it up right away and he played drums from the
- 00:32:23.645 --> 00:32:26.080
- Time he was 9-years-old until he couldn't play anymore because of
- 00:32:26.080 --> 00:32:29.484
- His cancer fight.
- 00:32:29.484 --> 00:32:31.853
- But he was also somebody who wanted to write music, not just
- 00:32:31.853 --> 00:32:36.524
- Be a drummer, he went to usc music school, the thornton
- 00:32:36.524 --> 00:32:40.528
- School of music at usc.
- 00:32:40.528 --> 00:32:43.731
- He was a composer.
- 00:32:43.731 --> 00:32:46.000
- The cancer disabled him so much that he couldn't play anymore
- 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:49.904
- And he kind of stopped thinking about music.
- 00:32:49.904 --> 00:32:53.441
- But 2023, he wanted to revisit a piece of music that he wrote in
- 00:32:53.441 --> 00:32:58.880
- College that he never finished.
- 00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:01.316
- So he started working on it with a couple of my band members
- 00:33:01.316 --> 00:33:06.254
- Fleshing it out.
- 00:33:06.254 --> 00:33:07.755
- It's this piece here called "arctic circles."
- 00:33:07.755 --> 00:33:12.994
- Right here.
- 00:33:12.994 --> 00:33:14.362
- Kirk: "arctic circles."
- 00:33:14.362 --> 00:33:15.697
- Gary: it's right on the top and it was the piece that he
- 00:33:15.697 --> 00:33:17.432
- Wrote in college, he never finished it, and he wanted to go
- 00:33:17.432 --> 00:33:20.235
- Back and finish it.
- 00:33:20.235 --> 00:33:21.603
- And he teamed up with a couple of my band members to help him
- 00:33:21.603 --> 00:33:25.006
- Get it going and then he reconnected with a buddy from
- 00:33:25.006 --> 00:33:28.076
- College named oliver schney and oliver was a composer as well
- 00:33:28.076 --> 00:33:31.746
- And they went to work to finish the music.
- 00:33:31.746 --> 00:33:34.749
- And that led to the creation of an entire album of music here.
- 00:33:34.749 --> 00:33:39.320
- This is actually my grandfather in world war i, this
- 00:33:39.320 --> 00:33:43.758
- Photograph here.
- 00:33:43.758 --> 00:33:46.327
- Mac, one of the things he did for the foundation was kind of
- 00:33:46.327 --> 00:33:49.497
- Restore things, resurrect them, revive them.
- 00:33:49.497 --> 00:33:52.934
- This was an old photograph that he sort of brought back to life,
- 00:33:52.934 --> 00:33:56.771
- And he fell in love with it and wanted to put it on the record,
- 00:33:56.771 --> 00:34:00.575
- On the front of the record.
- 00:34:00.575 --> 00:34:02.010
- So he designed the record and everything.
- 00:34:02.010 --> 00:34:05.480
- He never got to see or hold the record, but he heard everything.
- 00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:11.419
- It was finished, you know, right before he died.
- 00:34:11.419 --> 00:34:14.822
- And then i went back in to his laptop.
- 00:34:14.822 --> 00:34:19.260
- And his iphone and all these places i just started looking,
- 00:34:19.260 --> 00:34:23.698
- You know, first things.
- 00:34:23.698 --> 00:34:25.867
- And i started to discover all this music that he'd written and
- 00:34:25.867 --> 00:34:29.337
- Tucked away, stuff i'd never heard before.
- 00:34:29.337 --> 00:34:31.773
- He never played it for me.
- 00:34:31.773 --> 00:34:33.608
- Beautiful, beautiful music and there was so much of it that i
- 00:34:33.608 --> 00:34:37.645
- Called his buddy oliver and i said, "oliver, there's, i got
- 00:34:37.645 --> 00:34:41.316
- Another record.
- 00:34:41.316 --> 00:34:42.684
- We have to do another--"
- 00:34:42.684 --> 00:34:44.018
- Kirk: we got enough for two.
- 00:34:44.018 --> 00:34:45.386
- Gary: we got a double album's worth here.
- 00:34:45.386 --> 00:34:47.355
- So this is "resurrection and revival."
- 00:34:47.355 --> 00:34:50.325
- Part two is a double album.
- 00:34:50.325 --> 00:34:52.694
- There's two discs in here.
- 00:34:52.694 --> 00:34:54.262
- Kirk: oh, wow.
- 00:34:54.262 --> 00:34:55.596
- Gary: there's 19 compositions on here.
- 00:34:55.596 --> 00:34:58.766
- Some of them, like the last song mac wrote and then the first
- 00:34:58.766 --> 00:35:02.570
- Song he wrote in college is on here.
- 00:35:02.570 --> 00:35:05.006
- He recorded it, wrote it in college, he plays drums on it.
- 00:35:05.006 --> 00:35:09.077
- And mac wanted, he thought, you know, if we ever sold any
- 00:35:09.077 --> 00:35:12.647
- Records, the proceeds could go to the gary sinise foundation.
- 00:35:12.647 --> 00:35:15.616
- He loved the foundation, he loved the mission of the
- 00:35:15.616 --> 00:35:18.386
- Foundation, and to help our mission to support our veterans.
- 00:35:18.386 --> 00:35:21.622
- And we've sold almost 7000 vinyl copies of these records at the
- 00:35:21.622 --> 00:35:29.597
- Gary sinise foundation.
- 00:35:29.597 --> 00:35:33.835
- It's beautiful.
- 00:35:33.835 --> 00:35:35.169
- It's a sad tale.
- 00:35:35.169 --> 00:35:36.671
- We lost our battle, you know, we're praying and praying and
- 00:35:36.671 --> 00:35:39.707
- Praying hard for the miracle that we wanted to come to help
- 00:35:39.707 --> 00:35:45.680
- Our son.
- 00:35:45.680 --> 00:35:47.048
- It was a difficult summer, the summer of 2018 when we found out
- 00:35:47.048 --> 00:35:50.785
- He had cancer.
- 00:35:50.785 --> 00:35:52.120
- A month before, i found out my wife had stage three
- 00:35:52.120 --> 00:35:56.157
- Breast cancer.
- 00:35:56.157 --> 00:35:57.759
- So it was like, you know, a double whammy there that summer
- 00:35:57.759 --> 00:36:02.597
- And now i've got two cancer patients and, you know,
- 00:36:02.597 --> 00:36:06.534
- Caregivers everywhere know what i'm talking about when, you
- 00:36:06.534 --> 00:36:10.438
- Know, you just become you get in the fight and you try to do
- 00:36:10.438 --> 00:36:14.942
- Whatever you can to help and to also try to provide some cover
- 00:36:14.942 --> 00:36:22.150
- So that someone like mac, who's dealing with an incurable
- 00:36:22.150 --> 00:36:25.720
- Cancer, doesn't have to think about cancer every single day.
- 00:36:25.720 --> 00:36:29.223
- I dealt with the doctors and i dealt with the nurses and i
- 00:36:29.223 --> 00:36:32.560
- Dealt with the appointments and i dealt with trying to research
- 00:36:32.560 --> 00:36:35.363
- The drugs and all that stuff so that he could just try to have
- 00:36:35.363 --> 00:36:38.800
- A happy day, you know, and not be thinking about that
- 00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:42.103
- All the time.
- 00:36:42.103 --> 00:36:43.538
- That's what caregivers, you know, have to do.
- 00:36:43.538 --> 00:36:46.641
- You take--you're the battle buddy and you get in the trench
- 00:36:46.641 --> 00:36:51.279
- And you try to keep your battle buddy going, you know.
- 00:36:51.279 --> 00:36:55.450
- Kirk: that's so good.
- 00:36:55.450 --> 00:36:56.818
- It's so inspiring.
- 00:36:56.818 --> 00:36:58.152
- Thank you for sharing that story with us and sharing mac's music
- 00:36:58.152 --> 00:37:01.789
- With the whole world.
- 00:37:01.789 --> 00:37:03.157
- And i hope--
- 00:37:03.157 --> 00:37:04.492
- Gary: it's beautiful, it's beautiful stuff.
- 00:37:04.492 --> 00:37:05.860
- Kirk: many, many people listen to this.
- 00:37:05.860 --> 00:37:07.195
- Gary: you can go to his youtube channel and you can see videos
- 00:37:07.195 --> 00:37:10.164
- Of the recording sessions of some of the music and i
- 00:37:10.164 --> 00:37:13.835
- Recommend starting with arctic circles 'cause it's a
- 00:37:13.835 --> 00:37:17.104
- Magnificent piece and it really just it's very, very moving.
- 00:37:17.104 --> 00:37:22.043
- You know, you see me bring mac in the wheelchair and then he's
- 00:37:22.043 --> 00:37:24.946
- Sitting there listening to the orchestra play this piece of
- 00:37:24.946 --> 00:37:27.548
- Music and i'm, it was the first time i heard it and i was
- 00:37:27.548 --> 00:37:33.688
- Knocked out by it.
- 00:37:33.688 --> 00:37:35.022
- It's something.
- 00:37:35.022 --> 00:37:36.357
- Kirk: that's beautiful.
- 00:37:36.357 --> 00:37:37.725
- Thank you.
- 00:37:37.725 --> 00:37:39.060
- More with gary after the break.
- 00:37:39.060 --> 00:37:40.428
- Next we're gonna hear several people sharing their thoughts on
- 00:37:40.428 --> 00:37:43.431
- What they're most grateful for about our country as we
- 00:37:43.431 --> 00:37:46.601
- Celebrate our upcoming independence day.
- 00:37:46.601 --> 00:37:48.769
- Don't go away.
- 00:37:48.769 --> 00:37:50.104
- Kirk: with independence day right around the corner, sean,
- 00:37:50.104 --> 00:37:52.273
- What's something that you're thankful for about our country?
- 00:37:52.273 --> 00:37:56.077
- Sean mcdowell: my grandfather served in world war ii.
- 00:37:56.077 --> 00:37:59.447
- When i was, i think maybe a junior high or high school kid,
- 00:37:59.447 --> 00:38:01.716
- I was spouting off about how burning the flag doesn't
- 00:38:01.716 --> 00:38:04.352
- Mean anything.
- 00:38:04.352 --> 00:38:05.720
- It's just a piece of paper, freedom of speech.
- 00:38:05.720 --> 00:38:07.388
- And my grandfather took issue with that.
- 00:38:07.388 --> 00:38:10.191
- He goes, "that is not just a flag.
- 00:38:10.191 --> 00:38:12.827
- That represents our freedom."
- 00:38:12.827 --> 00:38:15.263
- People are willing to lay down their lives for that flag
- 00:38:15.263 --> 00:38:19.400
- Because that represents an ideal.
- 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:21.168
- It's not perfect in the way we lived it out, but it's an ideal
- 00:38:21.168 --> 00:38:25.172
- About equality, it's an ideal about freedom, it's an ideal of
- 00:38:25.172 --> 00:38:29.343
- What makes america great.
- 00:38:29.343 --> 00:38:32.046
- And i'll never forget that and never take my country
- 00:38:32.046 --> 00:38:35.283
- For granted.
- 00:38:35.283 --> 00:38:36.651
- Allen jackson: well, i'm grateful for the generations
- 00:38:36.651 --> 00:38:38.252
- Before us that honored god 'cause it brought god's
- 00:38:38.252 --> 00:38:40.021
- Blessings to us.
- 00:38:40.021 --> 00:38:41.522
- I can't understand my life apart from the blessings of god and
- 00:38:41.522 --> 00:38:44.525
- I think that's a response to choices that have been made.
- 00:38:44.525 --> 00:38:47.295
- So i wanna make choices that let god's blessings come to our
- 00:38:47.295 --> 00:38:50.031
- Children and grandchildren so god can bless us again.
- 00:38:50.031 --> 00:38:53.267
- Kirk: what's one thing that you're thankful for about
- 00:38:53.267 --> 00:38:55.803
- Our country?
- 00:38:55.803 --> 00:38:57.171
- Heidi st. john: this is a no brainer for me.
- 00:38:57.171 --> 00:38:58.506
- It's the constitution, probably the greatest governing document
- 00:38:58.506 --> 00:39:01.442
- Ever written in the history of the world and i'd like to see
- 00:39:01.442 --> 00:39:04.745
- You start to read it again, get to know it.
- 00:39:04.745 --> 00:39:07.114
- Jonathan mcreynolds: this country truly is the land
- 00:39:07.114 --> 00:39:08.716
- Of opportunity.
- 00:39:08.716 --> 00:39:10.084
- You have such an opportunity to do, to express what you feel
- 00:39:10.084 --> 00:39:17.191
- Called to do and express.
- 00:39:17.191 --> 00:39:18.726
- And i'm just really grateful that god put me in a place where
- 00:39:18.726 --> 00:39:22.163
- I can actually spread my wings, be the nerd, be the musician, be
- 00:39:22.163 --> 00:39:28.502
- The christian, be the millennial, be the black man
- 00:39:28.502 --> 00:39:32.006
- That i need to be.
- 00:39:32.006 --> 00:39:33.341
- Crystal paine: you know, one of the things i'm really grateful
- 00:39:33.341 --> 00:39:34.809
- For is the freedom that we have when it comes to education.
- 00:39:34.809 --> 00:39:37.845
- I was homeschooled, we have home schooled our kids some, and then
- 00:39:37.845 --> 00:39:40.615
- Also we have kids who are in private school.
- 00:39:40.615 --> 00:39:42.416
- We have a son who has disabilities who is in the
- 00:39:42.416 --> 00:39:44.885
- Public school system and they're special ed department and i am
- 00:39:44.885 --> 00:39:48.489
- Just so grateful that we have so many options.
- 00:39:48.489 --> 00:39:50.791
- And so i love that we get to choose as parents what is gonna
- 00:39:50.791 --> 00:39:54.929
- Work and what is gonna be best for each child.
- 00:39:54.929 --> 00:39:57.798
- William federer: i'm grateful for the ability to have the
- 00:39:57.798 --> 00:40:01.369
- Gospel preached freely.
- 00:40:01.369 --> 00:40:03.170
- That we can--in many countries around the world, it's illegal
- 00:40:03.170 --> 00:40:07.608
- To share the gospel.
- 00:40:07.608 --> 00:40:09.276
- I'm grateful for my family, my wife and my kids that they have
- 00:40:09.276 --> 00:40:14.949
- The freedom to choose their careers and choose their spouses
- 00:40:14.949 --> 00:40:19.253
- And if you were to sum america up into one word is individual.
- 00:40:19.253 --> 00:40:22.823
- That god has allowed us to have freedoms where we instead of the
- 00:40:22.823 --> 00:40:29.196
- King claiming divine right of kings, creator gives the power
- 00:40:29.196 --> 00:40:33.234
- To the king and he dispenses it to god's people.
- 00:40:33.234 --> 00:40:35.636
- Our founders left out the king and they said the creator gives
- 00:40:35.636 --> 00:40:37.738
- The rights to each citizen, right?
- 00:40:37.738 --> 00:40:40.107
- And so we in a sense are kings with a little k.
- 00:40:40.107 --> 00:40:42.943
- The word citizen means co-king co-ruler, co-sovereign.
- 00:40:42.943 --> 00:40:46.247
- And of course we have the voluntary opportunity to
- 00:40:46.247 --> 00:40:48.582
- Surrender our lives to jesus, the king of kings.
- 00:40:48.582 --> 00:40:52.319
- But i'm grateful for the freedoms that we have and i feel
- 00:40:52.319 --> 00:40:57.224
- A responsibility to pass them on to the next generation.
- 00:40:57.224 --> 00:41:05.150
- A responsibility to pass them on to the next generation.
- 00:41:05.150 --> 00:41:12.284
- Kirk: gary sinise has stayed with us to discuss the continued
- 00:41:12.384 --> 00:41:13.418
- Mission of supporting our military veterans and our
- 00:41:15.454 --> 00:41:18.390
- First responders.
- 00:41:18.390 --> 00:41:19.925
- Gary, fourth of july is coming up, independence day, and i
- 00:41:19.925 --> 00:41:24.596
- Always look forward to memorial day, veterans day, fourth
- 00:41:24.596 --> 00:41:26.832
- Of july.
- 00:41:26.832 --> 00:41:28.233
- Are there any special traditions that you hold on to when it
- 00:41:28.233 --> 00:41:32.738
- Comes to independence day?
- 00:41:32.738 --> 00:41:35.574
- Gary: well, you know, for many, many years, i've kind of made it
- 00:41:35.574 --> 00:41:40.245
- A tradition to play somewhere on a military base.
- 00:41:40.245 --> 00:41:45.083
- So i've played, you know, dozens of concerts over the years on
- 00:41:45.083 --> 00:41:48.820
- Military bases on the fourth of july.
- 00:41:48.820 --> 00:41:50.922
- It's always a very special kind of celebration.
- 00:41:50.922 --> 00:41:54.392
- Then there's fireworks.
- 00:41:54.392 --> 00:41:55.727
- I remember, fourth of july, 2010, we were in graffenveer,
- 00:41:55.727 --> 00:42:00.999
- Germany.
- 00:42:00.999 --> 00:42:02.834
- And, you know, massive crowd they're playing the fourth of
- 00:42:02.834 --> 00:42:08.273
- July concert.
- 00:42:08.273 --> 00:42:10.041
- And then after the concert, boom, boom, boom, the fireworks
- 00:42:10.041 --> 00:42:13.145
- Are going off and everything.
- 00:42:13.145 --> 00:42:15.013
- And i just got, you know, for years i just got very used to
- 00:42:15.013 --> 00:42:19.017
- Being away on the fourth of july playing a concert somewhere.
- 00:42:19.017 --> 00:42:21.753
- I don't go away as much.
- 00:42:21.753 --> 00:42:24.756
- Last fourth of july i played was actually out here at
- 00:42:24.756 --> 00:42:27.392
- Fort campbell.
- 00:42:27.392 --> 00:42:28.727
- So it was an easy drive and then i could drive home after
- 00:42:28.727 --> 00:42:32.430
- The concert.
- 00:42:32.430 --> 00:42:33.765
- That was good.
- 00:42:33.765 --> 00:42:35.133
- Kirk: one of the things i like to recommend and i like to do
- 00:42:35.133 --> 00:42:37.068
- On the fourth of july is to remember what it's actually all
- 00:42:37.068 --> 00:42:41.473
- About independence day.
- 00:42:41.473 --> 00:42:42.808
- And the battles that were fought in the revolutionary war and to
- 00:42:42.808 --> 00:42:46.244
- Even read the declaration of independence.
- 00:42:46.244 --> 00:42:47.946
- A lot of people have never even read the declaration
- 00:42:47.946 --> 00:42:49.581
- Of independence.
- 00:42:49.581 --> 00:42:51.216
- Go through it and understand and read about the stories of those
- 00:42:51.216 --> 00:42:54.352
- Who--why they did what they did.
- 00:42:54.352 --> 00:42:57.088
- And how we gained our independence and--
- 00:42:57.088 --> 00:42:59.624
- Gary: and thank god they did.
- 00:42:59.624 --> 00:43:00.959
- Kirk: and thank god that they had the courage and the faith
- 00:43:00.959 --> 00:43:03.495
- To do it, man.
- 00:43:03.495 --> 00:43:06.031
- Your book here, "grateful american: the journey from self
- 00:43:06.031 --> 00:43:10.001
- To service," you have a last chapter title, "why i'm still
- 00:43:10.001 --> 00:43:14.539
- On a mission."
- 00:43:14.539 --> 00:43:16.875
- Can you tell us why you called that your last chapter?
- 00:43:16.875 --> 00:43:22.214
- Gary: one thing that i say a lot and belief is that we can,
- 00:43:22.214 --> 00:43:30.889
- There's a few things, we can never do enough for the men and
- 00:43:30.889 --> 00:43:33.425
- Women who serve our country because where would we be if
- 00:43:33.425 --> 00:43:37.662
- Nobody wanted to put on the uniform and defend us, you know,
- 00:43:37.662 --> 00:43:40.932
- Against our enemies, protect us and whatnot.
- 00:43:40.932 --> 00:43:44.236
- So i'm grateful.
- 00:43:44.236 --> 00:43:45.604
- I'm a grateful american for sure for the people that have chosen
- 00:43:45.604 --> 00:43:49.641
- Military life and military service.
- 00:43:49.641 --> 00:43:54.012
- I'm thankful that we have people that are willing to volunteer
- 00:43:54.012 --> 00:43:58.183
- To do that.
- 00:43:58.183 --> 00:43:59.551
- We don't have a draft, so i'm thankful, i'm grateful.
- 00:43:59.551 --> 00:44:03.154
- And then i also say in the book that service work is a great
- 00:44:03.154 --> 00:44:08.460
- Healer for a broken heart.
- 00:44:08.460 --> 00:44:11.029
- And it's clear.
- 00:44:11.029 --> 00:44:12.697
- I mean, and you know, my heart was broken after september 11
- 00:44:12.697 --> 00:44:17.936
- And i remember going to our little church in malibu, and the
- 00:44:17.936 --> 00:44:24.342
- Friday after the tuesday, remember tuesday, september 11,
- 00:44:24.342 --> 00:44:28.013
- And friday, president bush had kind of stated that the friday
- 00:44:28.013 --> 00:44:33.118
- Was gonna be a national day of prayer and remembrance for the
- 00:44:33.118 --> 00:44:36.755
- Victims of september 11 attacks.
- 00:44:36.755 --> 00:44:39.658
- And so the churches were just packed.
- 00:44:39.658 --> 00:44:41.793
- Every house of worship in the country was just packed
- 00:44:41.793 --> 00:44:44.930
- With people.
- 00:44:44.930 --> 00:44:46.264
- We were standing there, there was no room to sit.
- 00:44:46.264 --> 00:44:48.733
- The priest came out and he did his homily and the first thing
- 00:44:48.733 --> 00:44:53.238
- He said was this has been a tough week and you saw everybody
- 00:44:53.238 --> 00:44:56.975
- Go like this 'cause everybody had the images in their head of
- 00:44:56.975 --> 00:45:00.578
- What had happened that day.
- 00:45:00.578 --> 00:45:02.414
- And then i walked out of that service either having heard
- 00:45:02.414 --> 00:45:07.953
- Something he said or just thinking it or something.
- 00:45:07.953 --> 00:45:10.755
- I'm not sure, but service was going to be something that if we
- 00:45:10.755 --> 00:45:16.294
- All applied ourselves to service and serving our fellow man in
- 00:45:16.294 --> 00:45:21.633
- This country that we were gonna heal a lot quicker because we're
- 00:45:21.633 --> 00:45:25.804
- All broken.
- 00:45:25.804 --> 00:45:27.172
- It was a terrible time and so i just thrust myself into
- 00:45:27.172 --> 00:45:31.042
- Service work.
- 00:45:31.042 --> 00:45:33.011
- And the more i did it, the more i wanted to do and the more
- 00:45:33.011 --> 00:45:38.483
- I could see the impact that was being made when you just simply
- 00:45:38.483 --> 00:45:41.720
- Show up to help somebody out.
- 00:45:41.720 --> 00:45:44.556
- So why am i still on a mission?
- 00:45:44.556 --> 00:45:46.391
- Because i see that the mission has helped people.
- 00:45:46.391 --> 00:45:50.295
- And once you get that kind of in your system.
- 00:45:50.295 --> 00:45:53.965
- It's just a part of your life.
- 00:45:53.965 --> 00:45:55.300
- It's just something that makes you feel better.
- 00:45:55.300 --> 00:45:57.969
- And through the cancer fight, kirk, i didn't stop going on the
- 00:45:57.969 --> 00:46:02.774
- Mission of--i stayed home a bit more, and i shifted
- 00:46:02.774 --> 00:46:07.812
- My priorities.
- 00:46:07.812 --> 00:46:09.180
- I stopped acting in 2019 to focus on the family, but i still
- 00:46:09.180 --> 00:46:13.985
- Continue to go out there and support the men and women who
- 00:46:13.985 --> 00:46:16.154
- Are serving our country and help build homes for them and do
- 00:46:16.154 --> 00:46:20.058
- Things for them because service is a great healer.
- 00:46:20.058 --> 00:46:24.662
- And i had a broken heart for what was going on at home now
- 00:46:24.662 --> 00:46:28.033
- With our son and seeing him.
- 00:46:28.033 --> 00:46:30.301
- But he didn't want me to stop doing that and i didn't wanna
- 00:46:30.301 --> 00:46:33.271
- Stop doing it because i would go out there and i would see that
- 00:46:33.271 --> 00:46:36.875
- Showing up can make a difference.
- 00:46:36.875 --> 00:46:38.843
- And i would replenish and then i'd come back to the fight for
- 00:46:38.843 --> 00:46:42.347
- Him and so it was helpful to keep on the mission and
- 00:46:42.347 --> 00:46:47.852
- To keep serving.
- 00:46:47.852 --> 00:46:49.220
- Kirk: i'm so grateful that you're a person of conviction
- 00:46:49.220 --> 00:46:53.425
- And you've committed yourself to a lifelong mission of serving
- 00:46:53.425 --> 00:46:58.363
- Other people and i hear what you're saying that it's healing
- 00:46:58.363 --> 00:47:01.166
- For you to be involved in service, but it's also healing
- 00:47:01.166 --> 00:47:05.403
- For the people that you're serving and it's also inspiring
- 00:47:05.403 --> 00:47:08.039
- And it's helping people to get a grasp on who we are, why
- 00:47:08.039 --> 00:47:12.110
- We're here, and a real sense of meaningful purpose in their life
- 00:47:12.110 --> 00:47:15.180
- If they engage on in a mission of service.
- 00:47:15.180 --> 00:47:18.716
- Gary: we lift ourselves up when we lift somebody else up.
- 00:47:18.716 --> 00:47:22.954
- There's no question about it then.
- 00:47:22.954 --> 00:47:25.723
- You know, that services are part of our faith and, you know, it's
- 00:47:25.723 --> 00:47:30.628
- A--why else are we here, you know, on this planet if not to
- 00:47:30.628 --> 00:47:37.368
- Help each other through our lives, you know.
- 00:47:37.368 --> 00:47:41.106
- And so i've found that, you know, there are different ways
- 00:47:41.106 --> 00:47:46.377
- That i can do that.
- 00:47:46.377 --> 00:47:47.712
- I can share my son's story and his courage and grace and in
- 00:47:47.712 --> 00:47:51.416
- Fighting his battle, maybe that will help somebody else who's
- 00:47:51.416 --> 00:47:55.520
- Going through their battle.
- 00:47:55.520 --> 00:47:57.322
- I can go out there and pat the men and women who serve our
- 00:47:57.322 --> 00:48:00.325
- Country on the back and let their families know that we
- 00:48:00.325 --> 00:48:02.994
- Appreciate them.
- 00:48:02.994 --> 00:48:04.329
- There's a lot that we can do and we're trying to do it at the
- 00:48:04.329 --> 00:48:07.599
- Gary sinise foundation every single day.
- 00:48:07.599 --> 00:48:10.869
- Kirk: despite all of our problems, all of our struggles,
- 00:48:10.869 --> 00:48:14.172
- The divisiveness that has characterized our country,
- 00:48:14.172 --> 00:48:16.975
- Particularly in the last several years, what are some of the
- 00:48:16.975 --> 00:48:20.645
- Things that you appreciate most about being an american?
- 00:48:20.645 --> 00:48:25.116
- Gary: oh, i am a grateful american.
- 00:48:25.116 --> 00:48:28.019
- There's no question about that.
- 00:48:28.019 --> 00:48:30.221
- Now, we are free in this country.
- 00:48:30.221 --> 00:48:32.724
- You know, when you go to places that don't really understand
- 00:48:32.724 --> 00:48:35.393
- What freedom is--
- 00:48:35.393 --> 00:48:36.728
- Kirk: and you've been there.
- 00:48:36.728 --> 00:48:38.096
- Gary: and it's hard, it's hard--
- 00:48:38.096 --> 00:48:39.430
- Kirk: on these military bases.
- 00:48:39.430 --> 00:48:40.798
- Gary: yeah, it's hard for us to conceive of that, but i'll tell
- 00:48:40.798 --> 00:48:43.067
- You one quick story.
- 00:48:43.067 --> 00:48:44.402
- Standing on the border between north and south korea, you go up
- 00:48:44.402 --> 00:48:47.305
- To the dmz.
- 00:48:47.305 --> 00:48:49.007
- And you can stand as close as i am right here, as you and i are
- 00:48:49.007 --> 00:48:52.944
- And there can be a north korean guard staring me in the face,
- 00:48:52.944 --> 00:48:57.015
- Right there.
- 00:48:57.015 --> 00:48:58.349
- And there's a little barrier, there's a little thing on
- 00:48:58.349 --> 00:49:00.318
- The ground.
- 00:49:00.318 --> 00:49:01.653
- I could step right over into north korea if i want and he's
- 00:49:01.653 --> 00:49:03.721
- On that side and he's a slave.
- 00:49:03.721 --> 00:49:06.824
- He's enslaved.
- 00:49:06.824 --> 00:49:08.159
- He has no concept of what freedom is.
- 00:49:08.159 --> 00:49:10.261
- And everybody behind me on this side, they've lived free because
- 00:49:10.261 --> 00:49:14.199
- The united states of america has been there defending and
- 00:49:14.199 --> 00:49:18.536
- Supporting the republic of korea.
- 00:49:18.536 --> 00:49:21.873
- This guy is a slave over there.
- 00:49:21.873 --> 00:49:23.308
- He has no concept of what living in a free society is.
- 00:49:23.308 --> 00:49:27.045
- So you value your freedom, you know, when you go to places that
- 00:49:27.045 --> 00:49:30.515
- Don't really understand it.
- 00:49:30.515 --> 00:49:31.883
- That's one of the great things i love about our country is
- 00:49:31.883 --> 00:49:35.853
- We are free.
- 00:49:35.853 --> 00:49:37.188
- We may be divided, we may have problems, all that.
- 00:49:37.188 --> 00:49:39.457
- There's no country on earth that doesn't have problems, but we're
- 00:49:39.457 --> 00:49:42.527
- Free here.
- 00:49:42.527 --> 00:49:43.895
- You know, we're free to worship and we're free to speak and
- 00:49:43.895 --> 00:49:49.934
- We're free to do things and we're free because there are men
- 00:49:49.934 --> 00:49:53.037
- And women who are willing to defend that and
- 00:49:53.037 --> 00:49:55.540
- I appreciate that.
- 00:49:55.540 --> 00:49:57.375
- Kirk: gary, thanks so much for being with us today.
- 00:49:57.375 --> 00:49:59.244
- Gary: thank you, kirk.
- 00:49:59.244 --> 00:50:00.578
- Kirk: appreciate you.
- 00:50:00.578 --> 00:50:01.946
- After the break, we'll review today's "takeaways."
- 00:50:01.946 --> 00:50:10.154
- After the break, we'll review today's "takeaways."
- 00:50:10.154 --> 00:50:16.227
- Kirk: what an incredible time with gary sinise.
- 00:50:17.862 --> 00:50:20.632
- His heart for our military and their families was both moving
- 00:50:20.632 --> 00:50:24.502
- And inspiring.
- 00:50:24.502 --> 00:50:26.004
- It was a gift to hear his personal stories and be reminded
- 00:50:26.004 --> 00:50:29.574
- That all of us have a part to play in caring for those
- 00:50:29.574 --> 00:50:32.610
- Who serve.
- 00:50:32.610 --> 00:50:34.045
- Here's a few key takeaways.
- 00:50:34.045 --> 00:50:36.281
- Thank you for your service.
- 00:50:36.281 --> 00:50:38.650
- Gary reminded us how much it matters to simply say,
- 00:50:38.650 --> 00:50:41.886
- "thank you."
- 00:50:41.886 --> 00:50:43.221
- The men and women in our military and their families live
- 00:50:43.221 --> 00:50:45.957
- Lives of incredible sacrifice and strength.
- 00:50:45.957 --> 00:50:49.260
- Their service deserves our deep gratitude, not just on holidays,
- 00:50:49.260 --> 00:50:53.564
- But every day.
- 00:50:53.564 --> 00:50:54.932
- So if you're a veteran or currently serving, please know
- 00:50:54.932 --> 00:50:58.603
- We see you, we honor you, and we are truly thankful.
- 00:50:58.603 --> 00:51:02.974
- Our team at "takeaways" says with full hearts, "thank you for
- 00:51:02.974 --> 00:51:06.778
- Your service."
- 00:51:06.778 --> 00:51:08.780
- Service is a healer.
- 00:51:08.780 --> 00:51:10.915
- One of gary's most powerful messages was that serving others
- 00:51:10.915 --> 00:51:15.019
- Can actually bring healing to our own hearts.
- 00:51:15.019 --> 00:51:17.789
- He's seen it in his own life and many of us have experienced
- 00:51:17.789 --> 00:51:20.958
- It too.
- 00:51:20.958 --> 00:51:22.293
- When we reach out to lift someone else up, something
- 00:51:22.293 --> 00:51:25.096
- Shifts in us.
- 00:51:25.096 --> 00:51:27.332
- God created us for community, for connection, and when we live
- 00:51:27.332 --> 00:51:31.302
- That out, it strengthens us too.
- 00:51:31.302 --> 00:51:34.238
- Like gary said so well, we lift ourselves up when we lift
- 00:51:34.238 --> 00:51:37.975
- Someone else up.
- 00:51:37.975 --> 00:51:40.244
- What's your mission?
- 00:51:40.244 --> 00:51:42.547
- As we reflect on the sacrifices made by so many for our freedom,
- 00:51:42.547 --> 00:51:47.018
- It's worth asking, what is my mission?
- 00:51:47.018 --> 00:51:50.054
- Gary's story of how he began serving veterans is a reminder
- 00:51:50.054 --> 00:51:53.791
- That it often starts with a simple burden on your own heart
- 00:51:53.791 --> 00:51:57.328
- And a willingness to act.
- 00:51:57.328 --> 00:51:59.497
- Maybe god is calling you to help a military family in
- 00:51:59.497 --> 00:52:02.567
- Your neighborhood.
- 00:52:02.567 --> 00:52:03.901
- Maybe it's volunteering locally or checking in with someone
- 00:52:03.901 --> 00:52:07.238
- Who's struggling.
- 00:52:07.238 --> 00:52:08.606
- Maybe using your gifts in a new way.
- 00:52:08.606 --> 00:52:11.275
- Just start where you are, look around, and then take the
- 00:52:11.275 --> 00:52:14.278
- First step.
- 00:52:14.278 --> 00:52:15.646
- Like gary said, start locally.
- 00:52:15.646 --> 00:52:18.082
- Big change often starts with small faithful actions.
- 00:52:18.082 --> 00:52:23.654
- On this independence day, let's make it personal.
- 00:52:23.654 --> 00:52:26.824
- Let's be people who regularly ask god, "what's my mission,"
- 00:52:26.824 --> 00:52:30.995
- And then step into it with courage and compassion until we
- 00:52:30.995 --> 00:52:34.732
- See it through.
- 00:52:34.732 --> 00:52:36.534
- That's all for this episode of "takeaways."
- 00:52:36.534 --> 00:52:38.736
- Thanks for watching and if you've enjoyed this show, don't
- 00:52:38.736 --> 00:52:42.073
- Forget to set your dvr to never miss an episode.
- 00:52:42.073 --> 00:52:45.343
- And of course you can always catch up on past episodes by
- 00:52:45.343 --> 00:52:48.246
- Searching for "takeaways" on tbn+ or by visiting the kirk
- 00:52:48.246 --> 00:52:52.984
- Cameron on tbn youtube channel.
- 00:52:52.984 --> 00:52:55.720
- We'll see you here next time for more great conversations.
- 00:52:55.720 --> 00:52:59.724
- ♪♪♪
- 00:52:59.724 --> 00:52:59.724