1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. You may know him 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: best for his portrayal of Vietnam veteran Lieutenant Dan in 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: the nineteen ninety four Oscar winning film Forrestcump. Garrison Ese 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: is an Oscar nominate actor and winner of an Emmy, 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 1: a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: has been honor with a star on the Hollywood Walk 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: of Fame, all while advocating for America's veterans for nearly 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: forty years. For his service work, Gary has been presented 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: with numerous humanitarian awards, including the Bob Hope Award for 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: Excellence and Entertainment from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, 11 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: the George Catholic Marshall Medal from the Association of the U. S. Army, 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: and the Spirit of Hope Award by the Department of Defense. 13 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: He was named an Honorary Chief Petty Officer by the 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: United States Navy, was pinned as an Honorary Marine, and 15 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: received the SAVANNAHS. Theyer Award at West Point. Gary is 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: also the recipient of the president Vential Citizens Medal, the 17 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: second highest civilian honor awarded by the Presidented States to 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: I'm pleased to welcome as my guest Gary Sine, a 20 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: great entertainer and a great American. For Veterans Day, we're 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: sharing stories about the work Gary has done with veterans 22 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: and their families, and Cinia's fascinating life. It's a great 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: honor to have Gary sinise with us. You've had a 24 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: very very interesting career and done some very cool movies 25 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: and been recognized and honored for your abilities. But how 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: did all that happen? Did you know from childhood you 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: wanted to be an actor? Well, thank you for having me, dude. 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: Wells a funny story in my book and how I 29 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: stumbled into acting. I was a high school kid in 30 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: the seventies. It was a tricky time. Then I was 31 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: in high school during the Vietnam War, and it was 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: a very kind of crazy time in our country. I 33 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: was not a good student. I had struggled from the 34 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: time I was in kindergarten all the way up until 35 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: my high school days. Academically, I've always struggled. That was 36 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: partially due to the fact that my dad was always 37 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 1: at work and my mom had her hands full with 38 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: my brother and sister, and also my mom was taking 39 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: care of her mother and her sister, and I just 40 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: kind of ran off on my own and got into trouble. 41 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: One of the things that I was interested in at 42 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: that time was music. I got my first guitar when 43 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: I was in fourth grade, and that's pretty much all 44 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to do, and so in high school I 45 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: had a band and that was the only thing I 46 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: liked doing. When I was a sophomore in high school, 47 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: I was standing in this hallway with my rock band 48 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: and we were looking pretty scruffy, and this little lady 49 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: comes walking down the hallway and she's kind of like 50 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: a hurricane just blowing through, and she looked at us, 51 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: did a double take, and then turned around and came 52 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: back to us and said she was the drama teacher. 53 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: And she said, I'm directing West Side Story. It's about 54 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: two gangs, and you guys look perfect for the gang members, 55 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: so come an audition for the play. And then she 56 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: blew off down at all and we looked at each 57 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: other and we kind of laughed. But after school I 58 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: decided to go and see what the audition thing was about. 59 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: And I saw all the pretty girls walking into the audition. 60 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: So I just followed them in and they gave me 61 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: a script and said, okay, read this part. And I 62 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 1: didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know what 63 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: an audition was. I didn't know what reading apart meant, 64 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: and so I was trying to look at the script 65 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: and figure out what everybody was doing, and I got 66 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: really behind, couldn't keep up, and it came to the 67 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: time where I was supposed to say my line, and 68 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: there was a big pause because I didn't know where 69 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: everybody was in the script. So I just started making 70 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: jokes and everybody started laughing and everything. Next thing I 71 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: know that next morning they put the list up of 72 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: who got cast into play and my name was on it. 73 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: And so I got a little part, a couple of lines, 74 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: not much, but I was in the chorus and I 75 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: just fell in love with it. Now, how old were 76 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: you at this point? I was probably sixteen, And I 77 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: fell in love with it, made all these new friends, 78 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: and then from that point on, all I wanted to 79 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: do was be in plays. So I was playing my 80 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: rock band and I was auditioning for every play I could, 81 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: and I started getting leads into plays, and by the 82 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: time I was done with high school, I'd played a 83 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: bunch of big parts, and I knew that's what I 84 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: wanted to do. And so right as I graduated high school, 85 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: I got some kids together and started a theater company. 86 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: And some of the kids were still in high school, 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: so they would finish their school day and then come 88 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: over to this church space that we found where they 89 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: let us use it to put on plays. And we 90 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: just started putting on plays. How do you at eighteen 91 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: walk up with a straight face and say, Hi, I'm 92 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: creating this theater and pull it off. I mean, you 93 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: have to get a building, you have to have people 94 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: on the plate. Do you have to have an audience? 95 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: I mean, you were doing a ton of stuff at eighteen. 96 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: Here's the thing. There's a funny little moment where it 97 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: comes time for me to graduate as a high school 98 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: senior in nineteen seventy three, and because I had messed 99 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: up so badly prior to that academically, I didn't have 100 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: enough credits to graduate with Mike class. So they said 101 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: the only way to graduate, the only way to get 102 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 1: a diploma is if you come back for another semester 103 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: and then you'll graduate with the next class. I just 104 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: felt like a failure. And now you know, all my 105 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: friends are going off to college and I was going 106 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: back to high school. So I was supposed to graduate 107 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy three. I graduated in nineteen seventy four. 108 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: So we kind of make a little joke in the 109 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: book about I was with the class of nineteen seventy 110 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: three and a half half. So I graduated, and I 111 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: knew I wasn't going to go to college because high 112 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: school academics was so tough. But I loved acting in 113 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: plays and I wanted to continue that feeling. We had 114 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: this wonderful drama department at the high school. Now I 115 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: was out of high school, but I wanted to keep 116 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: doing it. So, you know, I looked at some of 117 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: the kids who were still in high school who I 118 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: had acted in plays with, and we all said, let's 119 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: do a play. Let's find a place and do a plane. 120 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: My parents knew the architects of this local Unitarian church. 121 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: It had kind of a big space in it, so 122 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: I asked them if we could use it to put 123 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: on a plane, and they said yes. So that in 124 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: February or March of nineteen seventy four, Steppenwolf put on 125 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: its first play, and then we put on another one, 126 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: and then we put on another one. And then in 127 00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six, my buddy Jeff Perry, who was in 128 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: high school with me, who had gone to Illinois State 129 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: University and he was in the theater department there. He 130 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: met a lot of good people. I told him, Hey, 131 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: you know, we've got this little theater going up here. 132 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: So in nineteen seventy six we brought some people from 133 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: Illinois State University and we found a space that we 134 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: could actually build an eighty eight seat theater in. It 135 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: was the basement of a closed down Catholic school that 136 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: had this big basement in it, and we took up 137 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: residence in there in the summer of nineteen seventy six. 138 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: This theater company included John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalfe was an 139 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: original member, Joan Allen original member, the gal who became 140 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: my wife a few years later, Moira Harris, and there 141 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: were nine original members and we started putting on plays 142 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: in this basement. This was in Highland Park, Illinois, about 143 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: twenty five miles north of Chicago. Eventually, in nineteen eighty 144 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: we moved into the city and the theater company just 145 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: grew and grew. We eventually built our own building, and 146 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: now we own several buildings in the area and we're 147 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: under construction on a new theater there. It's kind of 148 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: crazy because because well, when you walk into this building 149 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: and you see all this big stuff in there, now, 150 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: if you look on the wall, you'll find a picture 151 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: of kids that are barely out of high school, and 152 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: you realize, forty five years ago this, all these buildings, 153 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: this whole thing was started by high school kids. So 154 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: I always think that the high school kids to walk 155 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: in there and see all this big stuff and the 156 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: fancy new theaters and everything like that, but they see 157 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: pictures of young kids on the wall, and that could 158 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: be them. Really is a wonderful thing about our country 159 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: that you can dream it up and you work hard, 160 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: you can achieve it. So, having invented your own theater, 161 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: did you ever actually take any formal classes in acting? 162 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: Everything I learned was either from this wonderful drama teacher 163 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: in high school who really turned my life around. I 164 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: give her a lot of credit, and by working with 165 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: the people at Steppenwolf. That's where I learned everything. Just 166 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: by doing it amazing. What would you say is the 167 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: role that was most emotionally filling for you. I've had 168 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: wonderful experiences in all the mediums. I've played some great 169 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: parts in the theater. And I played Tom Joad in 170 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: the Steppenwolf production of the Grapes of Wrath that we 171 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: did in Chicago, and then we moved it to Lajoia, 172 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: California in London, and then we did it on Broadway 173 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: and it won the Tony Award back in nineteen ninety. 174 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: That was a wonderful experience. I played a lot of 175 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: greed parts in movies and television. And television I played 176 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: Harry Truman for HBO. That was an interesting part because 177 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot about Truman before I took 178 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: on the role, so I was a bit confused when 179 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: they called me and asked me to consider that are 180 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: doing it. And I had already done Lieutenant Dan and 181 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 1: Forrest Gump and a few other things, so I was 182 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: not totally anonymous anymore. The folks had produced that they 183 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: saw something in me that said I could play that part. 184 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: But that was a very interesting part because we had 185 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: to do about thirty five years of his life and 186 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: We shot that in about thirty five days, so it's 187 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: pretty interesting and a lot of makeup. I aged from 188 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: about thirty years old to about sixty eight years old 189 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: during the course of the movie. We won some awards 190 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: for that, and after that I ended up playing George 191 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: Wallace in a television movie with legendary director John Frank 192 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: and iimer, if I had to pick one role that 193 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: I think maybe was the top of my game, it 194 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: might be that one. Of course, Lieutenant Dan was a 195 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: wonderful role and changed the course of my career. Of 196 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: Mice and Men, I got to make that into a 197 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: movie and got very close with Elaine Steinbeck, who controlled 198 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: the rights at that time. Elaine was married to John Steinbeck, 199 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: and he of course passed away, but she controlled the 200 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: rights to not only a Mice and Men, but The 201 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: Grapes of Wrath. And it was because of the Grapes 202 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: of Wrath and doing that on Broadway that I got 203 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: to befriend her, and at one point I asked her 204 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: if she would just give me the rights to make 205 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: of Mice and Men into a movie, and she did. 206 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: I started my book actually with a story of being 207 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 1: asked after playing Lieutenant Dan to come to the Disabled 208 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: American Veterans National Convention. They wanted to present me with 209 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: an award for playing Lieutenant Dan. About a month after 210 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: Forrest Gump Open, I was at the Disabled American Veterans 211 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: National Convention. I didn't really know much about the DAV. 212 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: I didn't know anything about the DAV before they contacted me, 213 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: but they invited me to come to the National Convention 214 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: and they wanted to present me with the National Commander's 215 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: Award for playing a wounded veteran in a movie. And 216 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: I remember I tell a story of being brought down 217 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: the back way, you know, from my hotel room. And 218 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: it was at Conrad Hilton Hotel in a ballroom, and 219 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: I come down the back way and they take me 220 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: through the kitchen, and I'm standing behind the doors that 221 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: lead into the ballroom, and I can hear on the 222 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: video screens my voice as Lieutenant Dan. They're showing some 223 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: scenes from the movie and it ends, and the whole 224 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: place erupts into applause, and they introduced me and I 225 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: come out through these doors, and I really didn't know 226 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: what to expect. I knew it was a ballroom filled 227 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: with people, but I walked out came up the wheelchair 228 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: ramp on to the stage, and I looked out and 229 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: there was probably three thousand people in there, and maybe 230 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: two thousand wounded veterans going back to World War Two 231 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 1: all the way up to at that time would have 232 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: been a Gulf War, and everyone in between, Vietnam veterans 233 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: and Korean veterans and you name it. There were a 234 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: lot of wounded veterans in there, and those that were 235 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: not in wheelchairs who could stand up, We're standing up, applauding. 236 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: And I just looked out at all this and just 237 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: got very emotional about it. And it really was a 238 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: galvanizing experience for me. And in the beginning my relationship 239 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: with the dav and meeting so many extraordinary men and 240 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: women who had served our country and sacrifice so much. 241 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: And I ended up being a part of the national 242 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: effort to build the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial 243 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: in washingt Ington, d C. I became their national spokesperson, 244 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: and this was an effort to build a national memorial 245 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: that honors are wounded. And I remember October fifth, twenty fourteen, 246 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: we opened that memorial in Washington, DC with an extraordinary event. 247 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: President Obama came and some of the wounded spoke. I 248 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: spoke as national spokesperson, and that memorial is there today. 249 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: It's just two blocks away from the Capitol. And through 250 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: that effort, I of course met just extraordinary people, the 251 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: disabled American veterans. I felt that you had accurately portrayed 252 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: them with both emotional power and with dignity. As you 253 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: were preparing for that role, how did you get your 254 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: head into that space? Well, it's interesting, Lieutenant Dan, of 255 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: course as a Vietnam veteran, and in my book, I 256 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: talk about the impact that the Vietnam veterans my wife's 257 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: side of the family made on me at a young age. 258 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: I actually got very involved with supporting Vietnam veterans locally 259 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: in Chicago in the early eighties, right around the time 260 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: that the wall was being dedicated in DC. I had 261 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: met my wife in nineteen seventy five. She introduced me 262 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: to her brother, who was a West Pointer served in 263 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: Vietnam twice, once as a lieutenant, went back as a 264 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: company commander a captain. Her other brother, the younger of 265 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: the two, was a combat helicopter pilot eight hundred combat 266 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: hours over Vietnam. Her sister joined the army and met 267 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: and married Vietnam veteran who stayed in the army for 268 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: twenty two years. He was a combat medic. All these 269 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: Vietnam veterans had a really impact on me, so in 270 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: the early eighties I started just supporting them locally. One 271 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: of the things I did is I wanted to find 272 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: some dramatic material that was focused on telling the stories 273 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: of the Vietnam War, and I found this play that 274 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: was written by a group of Vietnam veterans, so I 275 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: begged them to let me do it. Initially, they felt 276 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: it should only be performed by veterans, but I convinced 277 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: them to let me do it at Steppenwolf. And I 278 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: actually did have a couple of Vietnam veterans who were 279 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: actors in the play, but most of the cast was 280 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: just from our ensemble. But they let me do it 281 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 1: in Chicago, and because of that, Vietnam veterans just started 282 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: coming in droves to see the play. They heard about it, 283 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: and I wanted to let them in for free on 284 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: Tuesday nights. So we created something that's Steppenwolf back in 285 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: the eighties called Bets Night. We still do it for 286 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: every single play we do, going back to nineteen eighty four, 287 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: we have a night that's simply devoted to letting the 288 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: veterans come in for free and we give them a meal. 289 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: And now my foundation sponsors that event. But those early 290 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: experiences with Vietnam veterans back in the eighties kind of 291 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: galvanized things for me. And then along comes the nineties 292 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: and the opportunity to play a Vietnam veteran in Forrest Gump. 293 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: I very much wanted to do that. I was lucky 294 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: to get the part. Prior to that, I really hadn't 295 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: had a lot of interaction with wounded Vietnam veterans, although 296 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: I had taken my cast of the play to the 297 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: BA a couple of times and we sat with Vietnam 298 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: veterans who were going through very serious post traumatic stress 299 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: and being treated for that. They would share their experience 300 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: with this. That was a galvanizing moment for my cast 301 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: to really like, oh my, we're you know, we're in 302 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: this for good here. I wanted my cast to be 303 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: very committed as I was to telling these stories and 304 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: all that set the tone for what would come in 305 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: the nineties when I played a Vietnam veteran, and then 306 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: having played Lieutenant Dan at dav he reaches out to 307 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: me and I start supporting them, and then September eleventh 308 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: happens and I was all in at that point. September eleventh, 309 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: that was a turning point that made me rethink everything. 310 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: It made me rethink what is my relationship to my 311 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: country and the freedoms that I enjoy? What kind of 312 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: dad do I want to be to my kids? You know, 313 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 1: I was focusing so much on so many other things. 314 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: Was I really giving my full attention to my family 315 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: the way I should? It made me rethink so much, 316 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 1: and my heart was truly broken. After that terrible day. 317 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: I just felt terrible for our country, terrible for the people, 318 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: the lives that were lost, and the families that had 319 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 1: to endure those terrible images and lost life of their 320 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: loved ones. The first responders that I had seen on 321 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 1: television and so many of them killed on that terrible day. 322 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: That everything that happened just welled up inside me and 323 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: made me rethink everything. I was struggling, and I write 324 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: about those struggles. I wanted to try to find some 325 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: way to do something to help. I remember, I tell 326 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: a story about going to our little Catholic church that 327 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: Friday was a national Day of prayer, and the churches 328 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 1: and houses of worship across the country were just filled, 329 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 1: everybody looking for something to hang onto, some relief. I 330 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: was looking for that, and I remember getting to the 331 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: church and it was packed, so me and my family 332 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: were just standing on the side along the wall, standing 333 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: room only. I don't know exactly what the priests, but 334 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: I remember the first words that came out of his 335 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: mouth where this has been a tough week in I 336 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: walked out of the church that day with kind of 337 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 1: a feeling that I needed to serve in some way. 338 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: I needed to get involved in some way to help heal, 339 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: not simply try to help our country heal, but also 340 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: to help heal my own broken heart from this event. 341 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: And I was fearful. I remember being terribly afraid from 342 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: the future and what the future was going to hold, 343 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: what's the future going to be for my family and 344 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: all that. So I dove into action and I found 345 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 1: it the more I reached out to trying to help 346 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: in different ways, and I got very involved not only 347 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 1: with our military, but with the FDNY and supporting them. 348 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:00,360 Speaker 1: So many broken hearts in New York of people had 349 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: to endure that and then spend all that time on 350 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,719 Speaker 1: a pile down at ground zero and looking for friends 351 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: and family and just terrible things that we're going on. 352 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 1: So I got very very involved with supporting them and 353 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: met extraordinary people because of it. So I found that 354 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: the more I would try to serve in different ways, 355 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: the less of a broken heart I felt. So I 356 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: started reaching out wherever I could and supporting lots of organizations, 357 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: including the USO, and traveling with our military overseas and 358 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:40,920 Speaker 1: helping them in different ways by visiting or entertaining, going 359 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: to the hospitals, supporting a lot of different military charities 360 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: so that we could get more done. And by doing that, 361 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: I know as a celebrity, I can shine spotlights on 362 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: different things in different ways. So I would just show 363 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: up at a lot of different events and raise money 364 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: for different people and different organizations. But at a certain point, 365 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: I was just so busy in two thousen in that period, 366 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: just this enormous amount of traveling and everything during that 367 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: time for the military, that I just said, I think 368 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: I'm in this for good. There's no turning back, and 369 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: I need to have my own entity to support this work. 370 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: Is very, very difficult to support thirty different military charities 371 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: and just run around doing all that. So I kind 372 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: of brought all that, all that experience and all that service, 373 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: and all those relationships with people who were doing wonderful 374 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: things out there for our veterans. I kind of brought 375 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: it all together under one umbrella, the Gary Sneeze Foundation, 376 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: and that was launched officially at the National Press Club 377 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: in DC on June thirtieth, two eleven. And we have 378 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: grown and we've expanded our programs and we continue to 379 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,479 Speaker 1: serve across the nation and overseas. What's the feeling you 380 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: have when you know that you can go out and 381 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: do something and you make a family a veteran, their spouse, 382 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: their children, he suddenly have changed their lives. I mean, 383 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: how do you personally inside? You did this transition from 384 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,120 Speaker 1: self to service? But how does that hit you? Each 385 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: time I've done that, it just made me want to 386 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,720 Speaker 1: do more of it because you could see the impact 387 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: right in front of you by just showing up. I 388 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: was just showing up a lot for a lot of 389 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: different things, and I could see that what's showing up 390 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: just meant to folks, and that made me want to 391 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: do it more, and so it just grew over time, 392 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: and you know, the more I did it, the more 393 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: I could see that it was helping. If I didn't 394 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: think that, you know, getting on airplanes and running around 395 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: the world and visiting folks and things was making any 396 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: kind of impact at all, I wouldn't have kept going. 397 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: But I could see that it was, and I could 398 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: see how volunteerism and service to these other organizations would 399 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: help them to be able to do more to complete 400 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,119 Speaker 1: and fulfill their missions. And so I thought I wanted 401 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 1: to help as many people in our military and veteran 402 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: and first responders community as possible. As I said, I 403 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 1: am veterans, and my family Vietnam veterans. I remember all 404 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: too well what it was like for our vietnon veterans 405 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 1: to come home when services weren't being provided for them 406 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: and the nation had turned its back on them. I 407 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: didn't want that to happen again to our current active 408 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: duty service members going to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving 409 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: in response to the terrible tragedy of September eleventh. So 410 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,399 Speaker 1: I just started volunteering, and I wanted them to know 411 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 1: that they were supported, and by reaching out to all 412 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 1: these other organizations, I could kind of spread that out 413 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 1: a little bit more. And then I could see what 414 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,360 Speaker 1: somebody like me showing up to raise money for an 415 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: organization like the Semper five Fund or the Hope for 416 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: the Warriors or Independence Fund or DAV. I mean, there's 417 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: a number of organizations I supported. I could see that 418 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: it would make a different and how much they could accomplish. 419 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: And when I saw that, and when I felt that, 420 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: and when I met extraordinary people that were doing that, 421 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: who didn't have a public platform, who didn't have a 422 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: celebrity status or anything like that, but that I could 423 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,120 Speaker 1: help by showing up, it just made me want to 424 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: continue to do more. At a certain point, as I said, 425 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: I knew that this was just a life mission of service, 426 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: something that I wanted to continue doing, and so I 427 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 1: formed the Gary Sneeze Foundation, and over the years of 428 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: the last eight or nine years, we've gone from one 429 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: single donor me in the beginning, to eighty thousand different donors, 430 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: incredible organizations and companies who are sponsoring us in different ways. 431 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: And it was my intention at that point to kind 432 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: of use all the things that I'd done previously in 433 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: support of our military and veterans and first responders, supporting 434 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: all those other organizations to use that goodwill and that 435 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: good reputation that I've been able to kind of build 436 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: up by just showing up to allow people to trust 437 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: that we were going to do the right thing with 438 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: their generosity. And now we have thousands of donors, we've 439 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,199 Speaker 1: raised millions of dollars, and we've been able to spread 440 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 1: that impact far and wide. So somebody wants to help 441 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: you and they want to be involved, where would they 442 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: go The Garysonees Foundation website Garysonees Foundation dot org. If 443 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: you want to know this is the story of how 444 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: everything evolved, you can read Grateful America. And that's the 445 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 1: name of my book, Grateful American, A Journey from Self 446 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: to Service. It really tells a story in a kind 447 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,639 Speaker 1: of humorous and emotional way of how I ended up 448 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: devoting so much time to the service work. But all 449 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,359 Speaker 1: the programs and all the things we're doing, and the 450 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: people that were serving and the great relationships that we 451 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: have are all documented on the Garysonees Foundation website, and 452 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: I encourage folks to look at our YouTube channel. We 453 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:04,160 Speaker 1: have us of wonderful videos of our home building program 454 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: we build homes for wounded veterans, and our Soaring Valor 455 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: program down to the National World War Two Museum, great 456 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: videos taking hundreds of World War Two veterans to the museum. 457 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: Not only taking them there, but we record them on video. 458 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 1: We record their stories, and those oral histories are preserved 459 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: in the archive at the National World War Two Museum, 460 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 1: so that we can pass on those lessons and those 461 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: stories to future generations. And one of the aspects of 462 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: Soaring Valor, which is wonderful, is that in twenty seventeen, 463 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: I wanted to pair up these veterans with high school kids. 464 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: So through our wonderful relationship with American Airlines, who provides 465 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: travel support for us, we've taken hundreds of high school 466 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 1: kids along with hundreds of World War Two veterans down 467 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,119 Speaker 1: to the museum. So you have a high school student 468 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: who gets a travel buddy for three days, and that's 469 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: a sixteen year old high school and traveling with a 470 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: year old World War Two veteran who may have hit 471 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: the beach at Normandy, or been in the Battle of 472 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 1: the Bulge, or fought in the Pacific, and that veteran 473 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,200 Speaker 1: is traveling with that high school student down to the 474 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: World War Two Museum. We want people to know what 475 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: it takes to preserve freedom, and we want them to 476 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: know the importance of what happened at that time, back 477 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:28,159 Speaker 1: in the thirties and forties, and what these extraordinary Americans 478 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: did for all of us and for the world. That's remarkable, 479 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: And I must say, having had this remarkable opportunity to 480 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: chat with you and learn about the totality of your life, 481 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: I can see where the teenager who decided, look, if 482 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 1: I want to do plays, I guess I should go 483 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: and Ben in the theater would be the person whose 484 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: response at every crossing is but what can I do? 485 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: I know you keep finding ways to do it, and 486 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: the way in which you've taken the Lieutenant Dan band 487 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: and going out to entertain veterans and things you do 488 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: with your foundation, and this whole process of a commitment 489 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: to action, not just a commitment to thinking or being emotional. 490 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 1: It's a pretty remarkable trait. You really have an inspirational 491 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: story of citizenship being lived in a way that is 492 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: even more remarkable than I would have guessed when we 493 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: first talked about trying to get with you for this 494 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 1: Veteran's Day opportunity. Well Nut, thank you so much, it's 495 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: wonderful to talk to you. Thank you to my guest, 496 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: Gary Sonies. You can order Gary's book, Grateful American and 497 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: read more about the Gary Sonies Foundation on our show 498 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: page at newtsworld dot com. News World is produced by Gangwish, 499 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: Sweet sixty and iHeartMedia. Our executive producer is Debbie Meyers 500 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: and our producer is Guarnsy Slam. The artwork for the 501 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Penley. Special thanks to the 502 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,880 Speaker 1: team at Gingwich three sixty. Please email me with your 503 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: questions at Gingwish three sixty dot com slash questions. I'll 504 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 1: answer a selection of them in future episodes. If you've 505 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: been enjoying new Tworld, I hope you'll go to Apple 506 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: Podcasts and both rate us with five stars and give 507 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: us a review so others can learn what it's all about. 508 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: I'm new Gingwish. This is news World.