1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Hi, This is newt Twenty twenty is going to be 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: one of the most extraordinary election years of our lifetime. 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: I want to invite you to join my Inner Circle 4 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: as we discuss each twist and turn in the presidential race. 5 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: In my members only Inner Circle Club, you'll receive special 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: flash briefings, online events, and members only audio reports from 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: me and my team. Here is a special offer for 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: my podcast listeners. 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You may know 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: him best for his portrayal of Vietnam veteran Lieutenant Dan 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: in the nineteen ninety four Oscar winning film Forrestcump. Garrysonies 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: is an Oscar nominate actor and winner of an Emmy, 20 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 21 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk 22 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: of Fame, all while advocating for America's veterans for nearly 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: forty years. For his service work, Garry has been presented 24 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: with numerous humanitarian awards, including the Bob Hope Award for 25 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: Excellence and Entertainment from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: the George Catholic Marshall Medal from the Association of the 27 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: US Army, and the Spirit of Hope Award by the 28 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: Department of Defense. He was named an Honorary Chief Petty 29 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: Officer by the United States Navy, who was pinned as 30 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: an Honorary Marine and received the SAVANNAHS Theer Award at 31 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: West Point. Gry is also the recipient of the Presidential 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian honor awarded by the 33 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: President of States to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in 34 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: service of the nation. I'm pleased to welcome as my 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: guest Gary Sinise, a great entertainer and a great American. 36 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: For Veterans Day, we're sharing stories of what the work 37 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: Gary has done with veterans and their families and Cinia's 38 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: fascinating life. It's a great honor to have Gary Sinise 39 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: with us. You've had a very very interesting career and 40 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: done some very cool movies and been recognized and honored 41 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: for your abilities. But how did all that happen? Did 42 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: you know from childhood you wanted to be an actor? Well, 43 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: thank you for having me, dude. Wells a funny story 44 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: in my book of how I stumbled into acting. I 45 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: was a high school kid in the seventies. It was 46 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: a tricky time then. I was in high school during 47 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: the Vietnam War, and it was a very kind of 48 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: crazy time in our country. I was not a good student. 49 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: I had struggled from the time I was in kindergarten 50 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: all the way up until my high school days. Academically 51 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: I always struggled. That was partially due to the fact 52 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: that my dad was always at work and my mom 53 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: had her hands full with my brother and sister, and 54 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: also my mom was taking care of her mother and 55 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: her sister, and I just kind of ran off on 56 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: my own and got into trouble. One of the things 57 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: that I was interested in at that time was music. 58 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: I got my first guitar when I was in fourth grade, 59 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: and that's pretty much all I wanted to do, And 60 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: so in high school I had a band and that 61 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: was the only thing I liked doing. When I was 62 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: a sophomore in high school, I was standing in this 63 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: hallway with my rock band and we were looking pretty scruffy, 64 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: and this little lady comes walking down the hallway. She's 65 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: kind of like hurricane was blowing through, and she looked 66 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: at us, did a double take, and then turned around 67 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: and came back to us and said she was the 68 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: drama teacher. And she said, I'm directing West Side Story. 69 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: It's about two gangs, and you guys look perfect for 70 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: the gang members, So come an audition for the play. 71 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: And then she blew up down the hall and we 72 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: looked at each other and we kind of laughed. But 73 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: after school I decided to go and see what the 74 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: audition thing was about. And I saw all the pretty 75 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: girls walking into the audition, so I just followed them 76 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: in and they gave me a script and said, okay, 77 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: read this part. And I didn't know what I was doing. 78 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: I didn't know what an audition was. I didn't know 79 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: what reading apart meant, and so I was trying to 80 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 1: look at the script and figure out what everybody was doing, 81 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: and I got really behind, couldn't keep up, and it 82 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: came to the time where I was supposed to say 83 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: my line, and there was a big pause because I 84 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: didn't know where everybody was in the script. So I 85 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: just started making jokes and everybody started laughing and everything. 86 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: Next thing I know, the next morning, they put the 87 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: list up of who got cast into play, and my 88 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: name was on it, and so I got a little part, 89 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: a couple of lines, not much, but I was in 90 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: the chorus, and I just fell in love with it. Now, 91 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: how old were you at this point. I was probably sixteen, 92 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: and I fell in love with it, made all these 93 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: new friends, and then from that point on, all I 94 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: wanted to do was be in plays. So I was 95 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: playing my rock band and I was auditioning for every 96 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: play I could, and I started getting leads into plays, 97 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: and by the time I was done with high school, 98 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: I'd played a bunch of big parts, and I knew 99 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: that's what I wanted to do. And so right as 100 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: I graduated high school, I got some kids together and 101 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: started a theater company. And some of the kids were 102 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: still in high school, so they would finish their school 103 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: day and then come over to this church space that 104 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: we found where they let us use it to put 105 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: on plays, and we just started putting on plays. Next, 106 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: Gary's got how he struggled in school but overcame his 107 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: challenges to become the founding artistic director of the Steppenwolf 108 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Theater Company. How do you at eighteen walk up with 109 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,119 Speaker 1: the straight face and say, Hi, I'm creating this theater 110 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: and pull it off? I mean, you have to get 111 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: a building. Do you have to have people on the play? 112 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: Do you have to have an audience? I mean you 113 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: are doing a ton of stuff at eighteen. Here's the thing. 114 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: There's a funny little moment where it comes time for 115 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: me to graduate as a high school senior in nineteen 116 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: seventy three, and because I had messed up so badly 117 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: prior to that academically, I didn't have enough credits to 118 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: graduate with class. So they said the only way to graduate, 119 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: the only way to get a diploma, is if you 120 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: come back for another semester and then you'll graduate with 121 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: the next class. I just felt like a failure. And 122 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: now you know, all my friends are going off to 123 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: college and I was going back to high school. So 124 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: I was supposed to graduate in nineteen seventy three. I 125 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: graduated in nineteen seventy four, so we kind of make 126 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: a little joke in the book about I was with 127 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: the class of nineteen seventy three and a half. So 128 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: I graduated, and I knew I wasn't going to go 129 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: to college because high school academics was so tough. But 130 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: I loved acting in plays and I wanted to continue 131 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: that feeling. We had this wonderful drama department at the 132 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: high school. Now I was out of high school, but 133 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to keep doing it. So, you know, I 134 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: looked at some of the kids who were still in 135 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: high school who I had acted in plays with, and 136 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: we all said, let's do a play. Let's find a 137 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: place and do a play. And my parents knew the 138 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: architects of this local Unitarian church. It had kind of 139 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: a big space in it, so I asked them if 140 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: we could use it to put on a plane and 141 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: they said yes. So that in February or March of 142 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy four, Steppenwolf put on its first play, and 143 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: then we put on another one, and then we put 144 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: on another one, and then in nineteen seventy six, my 145 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: buddy Jeff Perry, who was in high school with me, 146 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: who had gone to Illinois State University and he was 147 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: in the theater department there. He met a lot of 148 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: good people. I told him, Hey, you know, we've got 149 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: this little theater going up here. So in nineteen seventy 150 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: six we brought some people from Illinois State University and 151 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: we found a space that we could actually build an 152 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: eighty eight seat theater in. It was the basement of 153 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: a closed down Catholic school that had this big basement 154 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: in it, and we took up residence in there in 155 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: the summer of nineteen seventy six. This theater company included 156 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalfe was an original member, Joan Allen 157 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,640 Speaker 1: original member, the gal who became my wife a few 158 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: years later, Moira Harris, and there were nine original members 159 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: and we started putting on plays in this basement. This 160 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: was in Highland Park, Illinois, about twenty five miles north 161 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: of Chicago. Eventually, in nineteen eighty we moved into the 162 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: city and the theater company just grew and grew. We 163 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: eventually built our own building and now we own several 164 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 1: buildings in the area, and we're under construction on a 165 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 1: new theater there. It's kind of crazy because because well, 166 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: when you walk into this building and you see all 167 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: this big stuff in there, now, if you look on 168 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: the wall, you'll find a picture of kids that are 169 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: barely out of high school, and you realize, forty five 170 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: years ago this, all these buildings, this whole thing was 171 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,439 Speaker 1: arted by high school kids. So I always think of 172 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: the high school kids to walk in there and see 173 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 1: all this big stuff and the fancy new theaters and 174 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: everything like that, but they see pictures of young kids 175 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: on the wall, and that could be them. Really is 176 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: a wonderful thing about our country that if you can 177 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: dream it up and you work hard, you can achieve it. So, 178 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: having invented your own theater, did you ever actually take 179 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: any formal classes in acting? Everything I learned was either 180 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: from this wonderful drama teacher in high school who really 181 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: turned my life around. I give her a lot of credit, 182 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: and by working with the people at Steppenwol If that's 183 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: where I learned everything, just by doing it amazing, What 184 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: would you say is the role that was most emotionally 185 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: filling for you? I've had wonderful experiences in all the mediums. 186 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: I've played some great parts in the theater. I played 187 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: Tom Joad in the Steppenwolf production of the Grapes of 188 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: Wrath that we did in Chicago, and then we moved 189 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: it to Lajoia, California in London, and then we did 190 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: it on Broadway and it won the Tony Award back 191 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety. That was a wonderful experience. I've played 192 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: a lot of greed parts in movies and television and television. 193 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: I played Harry Truman for HBO. That was an interesting 194 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: part because I didn't know a lot about Truman before 195 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 1: I took on the role, so I was a bit 196 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: confused when they called me and asked me to consider 197 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: doing it. And I had already done Lieutenant Dan and 198 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: Forrest Gump and a few other things, so I was 199 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: not totally anonymous anymore. The folks had produced that they 200 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: saw something in me that said I could play that part. 201 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: But that was a very interesting part because we had 202 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 1: to do about thirty five years of his life and 203 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: we shot that in about thirty five days, so it's 204 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: pretty interesting and a lot of makeup I aged from 205 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: about thirty years old to about sixty eight years old. 206 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: During the course of the movie. We won some awards 207 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: for that, and after that I ended up playing George 208 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: Wallace in a television movie with legendary director John Frankenheimer. 209 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: If I had to pick one role that I think 210 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: maybe was the top of my game, it might be 211 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: that one. Of course, Lieutenant Dan was a wonderful role 212 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 1: and changed the course of my career. Of Mice and Men, 213 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: I got to make that into a movie and got 214 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: very close with Elaine Steinbeck, who controlled the rights at 215 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: that time. Elaine was married to John Steinbeck, and he 216 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: of course passed away, but she controlled the rights to 217 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: not only of Mice and Men but The Grapes of Wrath. 218 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: And it was because of the Grapes of Wrath and 219 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,719 Speaker 1: doing that on Broadway that I got to befriend her, 220 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: and at one point I asked her if she would 221 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: just give me the rights to make of Mice and 222 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: Men into a movie, and she did. Next Gary's role 223 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: as Lieutenant Dan in the offscoting film Forrest Gump leads 224 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: into a life of service veterans and their families. Hi 225 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: this is New Gingrich. 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I 249 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: started my book actually with a story of being asked, 250 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: after playing Lieutenant Dan, to come to the Disabled American 251 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: Veterans National Convention. They wanted to present me with an 252 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: award for playing Lieutenant Dan. About a month after Forrest 253 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: Gump Open, I was at the Disabled American Veterans National Convention. 254 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: I didn't really know much about the DAV. I didn't 255 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: know anything about the DAV before they contacted me, but 256 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: they invited me to come to the National Convention and 257 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: they wanted to present me with the National Commander's Award 258 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 1: for playing a wounded veteran in a movie. And I remember, 259 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 1: I tell a story of being brought down the back way, 260 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: you know, from my hotel room. And it was at 261 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: the Conrad Hilton Hotel in a ballroom, and I come 262 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: down the back way and they take me through the 263 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: kitchen and I'm standing behind the doors that lead into 264 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: the ballroom and I can hear on the videos my 265 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: voice as Lieutenant Dan. They're showing some scenes from the 266 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: movie and it ends, and the whole place erupts into applause, 267 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: and they introduced me, and I come out through these doors, 268 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: and I really didn't know what to expect. I knew 269 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: it was a ballroom filled with people. But I walked out, 270 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: came up the wheelchair ramp on to the stage, and 271 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: I looked out and there was probably three thousand people 272 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: in there, and maybe two thousand wounded veterans going back 273 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: to World War Two all the way up to at 274 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: that time would have been the Gulf War, and everyone 275 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: in between, Vietnam veterans and Korean veterans and you name it. 276 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: There were a lot of wounded veterans in there, and 277 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: those that were not in wheelchairs who could stand up, 278 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: We're standing up, applauding. And I just looked out at 279 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: all this and just got very emotional about it. And 280 00:16:55,400 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: it really was a galvanizing experience for me. And in 281 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,640 Speaker 1: the beginning my relationship with the dav and meeting so 282 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: many extraordinary men and women who had served our country 283 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 1: in sacrifice so much, and I ended up being a 284 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: part of the national effort to build the American Veterans 285 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, d C. I became 286 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,719 Speaker 1: their national spokesperson, and this was an effort to build 287 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: a national memorial that honors are wounded. And I remember 288 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: October fifth, twenty fourteen, we opened that memorial in Washington, 289 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: d C. With an extraordinary event. President Obama came and 290 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 1: some of the wounded spoke. I spoke as national spokesperson, 291 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: and that memorial is there today. It's just two blocks 292 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: away from the Capitol. And through that effort, I of 293 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:55,199 Speaker 1: course met just extraordinary people, the disabled American veterans. I 294 00:17:55,359 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: felt that you had accurately portrayed them with both emotional 295 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: power and with dignity. As you were preparing for that role, 296 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: how did you get your head into that space? Well, 297 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,159 Speaker 1: it's interesting, Lieutenant Dan. Of course, as a Vietnam veteran, 298 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: and in my book I talk about the impact that 299 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: the Vietnam veterans on my wife's side of the family 300 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: made on me at a young age. I actually got 301 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: very involved with supporting Vietnam veterans locally in Chicago in 302 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: the early eighties, right around the time that the wall 303 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:36,919 Speaker 1: was being dedicated in DC. I had met my wife. 304 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy five, she introduced me to her brother, 305 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: who was a West Pointer served in Vietnam twice, once 306 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: as a lieutenant, went back as a company commander a captain. 307 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: Her other brother, the younger of the two, was a 308 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: combat helicopter pilot eight hundred combat hours over Vietnam. Her 309 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: sister joined the army and met and married Vietnam veteran 310 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: who stayed in the army for twenty two years. He 311 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: was a combat medic. All these Vietnam veterans had a 312 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: really impact on me, so in the early eighties I 313 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: started just supporting them locally. One of the things I 314 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 1: did is I wanted to find some dramatic material that 315 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: was focused on telling the stories of the Vietnam War, 316 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: and I found this play that was written by a 317 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: group of Vietnam veterans, so I begged them to let 318 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: me do it. Initially, they felt it should only be 319 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,159 Speaker 1: performed by veterans, but I convinced them to let me 320 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: do it at Steppenwolf. And I actually did have a 321 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: couple of Vietnam veterans who were actors in the play, 322 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: but most of the cast was just from our ensemble. 323 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: But they let me do it in Chicago, and because 324 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: of that, Vietnam veterans just started coming in droves to 325 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: see the play. They heard about it, and I wanted 326 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: to let them in for free on Tuesday nights. So 327 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: we created something that's Steppenwolf back in the eighties called 328 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: vets Nite. We still do it for every single play 329 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: we do, going back to nineteen eighty four, we have 330 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 1: a night that's simply devoted to letting the veterans come 331 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: in for free and we give them a meal. And 332 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 1: now my foundation sponsors that event. But those early experiences 333 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: with Vietnam veterans back in the eighties kind of galvanized 334 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: things for me. And then along comes the nineties and 335 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: the opportunity to play a Vietnam veteran in Forrest Gump. 336 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 1: I very much wanted to do that. I was lucky 337 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,159 Speaker 1: to get the part. Prior to that, I really hadn't 338 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,640 Speaker 1: had a lot of interaction with wounded Vietnam veterans, although 339 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: I had taken my cast of the play to the 340 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: BA a couple of times, and we sat with Vietnam 341 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: veterans who were going through very serious post traumatic stress 342 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: and being treated for that. They would share their experience 343 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: with this. That was a galvanizing moment for my cast. 344 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:02,199 Speaker 1: A really like, oh, we're you know, we're in this 345 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: for good here, And I wanted my cast to be 346 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: very committed as I was to telling these stories and 347 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: all that set the tone for what would come in 348 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 1: the nineties when I played a Vietnam veteran and then 349 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: having played Lieutenant Dan that dav reaches out to me 350 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: and I start supporting them, and then September eleventh happens 351 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: and I was all in at that point. Coming up, 352 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: Gary describes how the events of nine to eleven changed 353 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: his life. September eleventh, that was a turning point that 354 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: made me rethink everything. It made me rethink what is 355 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:01,160 Speaker 1: my relationship to my country and the freedoms that I enjoy? 356 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: What kind of dad do I want to be to 357 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: my kids? You know, I was focusing so much on 358 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: so many other things. Was I really giving my full 359 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: attention to my family the way I should? It made 360 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: me rethink so much, and my heart was truly broken. 361 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: After that terrible day. I just felt terrible for our country, 362 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 1: terrible for the people, the lives that were lost, and 363 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: the families that had to endure those terrible images and 364 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: loss of life of their loved ones, the first responders 365 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: that I had seen on television, and so many of 366 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 1: them killed on that terrible day, that everything that happened 367 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: just welled up inside me and made me rethink everything 368 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: I was struggling, and I write about those struggles. I 369 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 1: wanted to try to find some way to do something 370 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: to help. I remember I tell a story about going 371 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: to our little Catholic church that Friday was a national 372 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: day of prayer, and the churches and houses of worship 373 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:05,880 Speaker 1: across the country, we're just filled, everybody looking for something 374 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: to hang onto, some relief. I was looking for that, 375 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: and I remember getting to the church and it was packed, 376 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: so me and my family were just standing on the 377 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: side along the wall, standing room only. I don't know 378 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: exactly what the priest said, but I remember the first 379 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: words that came out of his mouth where this has 380 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: been a tough week in I walked out of the 381 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 1: church that day with kind of a feeling that I 382 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: needed to serve in some way. I needed to get 383 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: involved in some way to help heal, not simply try 384 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: to help our country heal, but also to help heal 385 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,840 Speaker 1: my own broken heart from this event, and I was fearful. 386 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,679 Speaker 1: I remember being terribly afraid from the future and what 387 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: the future was going to, what's the future going to 388 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: be for my family and all that. So I dove 389 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: into action, and I found that the more I reached 390 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 1: out to trying to help in different ways, and I 391 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: got very involved not only with our military, but with 392 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: the FDNY and supporting them. So many broken hearts in 393 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: New York of people that had to endure that and 394 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 1: then spend all that time on a pile down at 395 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: ground zero and looking for friends and family and just 396 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: terrible things that were going on. So I got very 397 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 1: very involved with supporting them and met extraordinary people because 398 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: of it. So I found that the more I would 399 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,439 Speaker 1: try to serve in different ways, the less of a 400 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: broken heart I felt. So I started reaching out wherever 401 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:52,440 Speaker 1: I could and supporting lots of organizations, including the USO, 402 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: and traveling with our military overseas and helping them in 403 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 1: different ways by visiting or entertaining, going to the hospitals, 404 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: supporting a lot of different military charities so that we 405 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 1: could get more done. And by doing that, I know 406 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,440 Speaker 1: as a celebrity, I can shine spotlights on different things 407 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: in different ways. So I would just show up at 408 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: a lot of different events and raise money for different 409 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: people and different organizations. But at a certain point I 410 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: was just so busy in two thousand and nine, two ten, 411 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 1: in that period, just this enormous amount of traveling and 412 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: everything during that time for the military, that I just said, 413 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: I think I'm in this for good. There's no turning back, 414 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 1: and I need to have my own entity to support 415 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 1: this work. Is very, very difficult to support thirty different 416 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: military charities and just run around doing all that. So 417 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 1: I kind of brought all that experience and all that 418 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: service and all those relationships with people who were doing 419 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: wonderful things out there for our veterans. I kind of 420 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: brought it all together under one umbrella, the Gary Sneeze Foundation, 421 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: and was launched officially at the National Press Club in 422 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: DC on June thirtieth, twenty eleven. And we have grown 423 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: and we've expanded our programs and we continue to serve 424 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: across the nation and overseas. What's the feeling you have 425 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: when you know that you can go out and do 426 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: something and you make a family, a veteran, their spouse, 427 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: their children. You suddenly have changed their lives. I mean, 428 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: how do you personally inside you this transition from self 429 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,640 Speaker 1: to service. How does that hit you? Each time I've 430 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: done that, it just wanted me. It made me want 431 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: to do more of it, because you could see the 432 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: impact right in front of you by just showing up. 433 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: I was just showing up a lot for a lot 434 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: of different things, and I could see that what's showing 435 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: up just meant to folks, and that made me want 436 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: to do it more. And so it just grew over time, 437 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: and you know, the more I did it, the more 438 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 1: I could see that it was helping. If I didn't 439 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: think that getting on airplanes and running around the world 440 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: and visiting folks and things was making any kind of 441 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: impact at all, I wouldn't have kept going. But I 442 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: could see that it was. And I could see how 443 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: volunteerism and service to these other organizations would help them 444 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: to be able to do more to complete and fulfill 445 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: their missions. And so I thought I wanted to help 446 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: as many people in our military and veteran and first 447 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,959 Speaker 1: responders community as possible. As I said, I am veterans 448 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: in my family, Vietnam veterans. I remember all too well 449 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 1: what it was like for our Beeton veterans to come 450 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: home when services weren't being provided for them and the 451 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: nation had turned its back on them. I didn't want 452 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: that to happen again to our current active duty service 453 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: members going to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving in response 454 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: to the terrible tragedy of September eleventh. So I just 455 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,120 Speaker 1: started volunteering, and I wanted them to know that they 456 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: were supported. And by reaching out to all these other organizations, 457 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: I could kind of spread that out a little bit more. 458 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 1: And then I could see what somebody like me showing 459 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: up to raise money for an organization like the Semper 460 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:16,120 Speaker 1: five Fund or the Hope for the Warriors or Independence 461 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: Fund or DAV. I mean, there's a number of organizations 462 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: I supported. I could see that it wouldn't make a 463 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: difference in how much they could accomplish. And when I 464 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: saw that, and when I felt that, and when I 465 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: met extraordinary people that were doing that, who didn't have 466 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: a public platform, who didn't have a celebrity status or 467 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: anything like that, but that I could help by showing up, 468 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: it just made me want to continue to do more. 469 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: At a certain point, as I said, I knew that 470 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: this was just a life mission of service, something that 471 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: I wanted to continue doing, and so I formed the 472 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: Gary Soneeze Foundation, and over the years of the last 473 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,719 Speaker 1: eight or nine years, we've gone from one single donor 474 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: me in the beginning, to eighty thousand different donors, incredible 475 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: organizations and companies who are sponsoring us in different ways. 476 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: And it was my intention at that point to kind 477 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,479 Speaker 1: of use all the things that I've done previously in 478 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: support of our military and veterans and first responders, supporting 479 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 1: all those other organizations to use that goodwill and that 480 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: good reputation that I've been able to kind of build 481 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: up by just showing up, to allow people to trust 482 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: that we were going to do the right thing with 483 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: their generosity. And now we have thousands of donors, We've 484 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: raised millions of dollars, and we've been able to spread 485 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: that impact far and wide. So somebody wants to help 486 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: you and they want to be involved, where would they 487 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: go The Garyson Eeds Foundation website Garyson Needs Foundation dot org. 488 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: If you want to know the story of how everything evolved, 489 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: you can read Grateful America. That's the name of my book, 490 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: Grateful American, A Journey from Self to service. It really 491 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: tells a story in a kind of humorous and emotional way, 492 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: of how I ended up devoting so much time to 493 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: the service work. But all the programs and all the 494 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 1: things we're doing, and the people that were serving, and 495 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: the great relationships that we have are all documented on 496 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: the Gary Sneeze Foundation website, and I encourage folks to 497 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: look at our YouTube channel. We have dozens of wonderful 498 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: videos of our home building program we build homes for 499 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 1: wounded veterans, and our Soaring Valor program down to the 500 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: National World War Two Museum, great videos taking hundreds of 501 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: World War Two veterans to the museum. Not only taking 502 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: them there, but we record them on video. We record 503 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 1: their stories, and those oral histories are preserved in the 504 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: archive at the National World War Two Museum so that 505 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: we can pass on those lessons and those stories to 506 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: future generations. And one of the aspects of Soaring Valor, 507 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: which is wonderful, is that in twenty seventeen, I wanted 508 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: to pair up these veterans with high school kids. So 509 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: through our wonderful relationship with American Airlines, who provides travel 510 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: support for us, we've taken hundreds of high school kids 511 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: along with hundreds of World War Two veterans down to 512 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: the museum. So you have a high school student who 513 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: gets a travel buddy for three days, and that's a 514 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: sixteen year old high school student traveling with a year 515 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: old World War Two veteran who may have hit the 516 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: beach at Normandy or been in the Battle of the 517 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: Bulge or fought in the Pacific, and that veteran is 518 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,720 Speaker 1: traveling with that high school student down to the World 519 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: War Two Museum. We want people to know what it 520 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: takes to preserve freedom, and we want them to know 521 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: the importance of what happened at that time, back in 522 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: the thirties and forties, and what these extraordinary Americans did 523 00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: for all of us and for the world. That's remarkable. 524 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: And I must say, having had this remarkable opportunity to 525 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 1: do chat with you and learn about the totality of 526 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 1: your life, I can see where the teenager who decided, look, 527 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: if I want to do plays, I guess I should 528 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: go invent the theater would be the person whose response 529 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 1: at every crossing is but what can I do? And 530 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: that you keep finding ways to do it, and the 531 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: way in which you've taken the Lieutenant Dan Band and 532 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: going out to entertain veterans and the things you do 533 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,960 Speaker 1: with your foundation, and this whole process of a commitment 534 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: to action, not just a commitment to thinking or being emotional. 535 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: It's a pretty remarkable trait. You really have an inspirational 536 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: story of citizenship being lived in a way that is 537 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: even more remarkable than I would have guessed when we 538 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: first talked about trying to get with you for this 539 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: Veterans Day opportunity. Well, Nute, thank you so much. It's 540 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: wonderful to talk to you. Thank you to my guest, 541 00:32:56,280 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: Gary Cities. You can order Gary's book Grateful and read 542 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: more about the Garrison East Foundation on our show page 543 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: at newtsworld dot com. Newtsworld is produced by Westwood One. 544 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Debbie Myers and our producer is 545 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: Garnsey Slow. Our editor is Robert Borowski, and our researcher 546 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: is Rachel Peterson. Our guest booker is Tamara Coleman. The 547 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: artwork for the show was created by Steve Pendley. The 548 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 1: music was composed by Joey Salvin. Special thanks to the 549 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: team at GINGWIS three sixty and Westwood One's John Wardock 550 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: and Robert Mathers. Please email me with your comments at 551 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: newt at newtsworld dot com. If you've been enjoying Newtsworld, 552 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 553 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 554 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. On the Next 555 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: Step episode of Newtsworld one hundred and fifty six years ago. 556 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 1: On November nineteenth, eighteen sixty three, Abraham Lincoln delivered the 557 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: Gettysburg Address during the Civil War. It is one of 558 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:15,800 Speaker 1: the greatest speeches in American history. During the war, Lincoln 559 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: rarely left Washington. The only occasion was on which he 560 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,760 Speaker 1: leaves Washington are either to go across the river to 561 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: review Union troops. He does make one trip to New 562 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: York City very early in the war to consult with 563 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:33,480 Speaker 1: Windfield Scott, but he does leave Washington to come to Gettysburg. 564 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: The Gettysburg victory means so much to him and he 565 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 1: wants to celebrate that. I'm New king Ridge. This is 566 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: News World, the Westwood One podcast network