[October 07, 2014] Occasionally we hear about the good works of Hollywood stars – those helping people in need by giving money – but rarely do we hear about them providing opportunities and real leadership. Twenty years ago Gary Sinise co-starred in the movie Forest Gump alongside Tom Hanks. Unexpectedly, the movie helped propel him into a leadership role helping military personnel, veterans, first responders, and their families and people in need.
Starring as First Lieutenant Dan Taylor, he played a junior Infantry Officer in the Vietnam War. “Lieutenant Dan”, as he was known in the movie, became a double amputee and later embittered about his life as a disabled veteran. The journey of Lieutenant Dan and Forrest Gump are interwoven. Interestingly, in the movie, there was no critique of the war but it did show how soldiers honored one another by never leaving their own behind. During the 1990s there were a large number of films about the Vietnam war and each seemed to criticize it and the military in some way. Not the movie Forrest Gump. And this is how Gary Sinise leads his foundation, simply honoring those who serve and letting them know that American will never abandon their own kind.
Gary does this largely through his foundation: The Gary Sinise Foundation (see link here). While the foundation just celebrated its third anniversary, Gary himself has been at the forefront to assist the many who serve our nation. For example, in the 1980s Gary offered free performances to Vietnam veterans and later in 1994 he was honored at the Disabled American Veterans annual conference. Read all about this and his role in the movie in the most recent DAV magazine; you’ll need to flip through the electronic pages from page 24 to 25 (digital link here).
Gary Sinise shows those most basic leadership qualities on the positive side of life and, in doing so, in his pursuit to help. We all wish him and his foundation the best because he supports those serving on the front lines and does so every single day.
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