Gary Sinise Donates Big Bucks to Turn Vacant Church Into ‘Place to Go When the PTSD Hits’

First and foremost, on this Veterans Day, we honor the courage, sacrifice, and steadfast devotion of our vets; brave men and women who’ve put everything on the line to protect our freedoms. It’s my sincere hope that our veterans feel and experience the gratitude they are owed, perhaps more than words can express. 

As a proud son of a United States Marine and member of the Greatest Generation, who, as a 23-year-old from a town of less than 1,000, drove a tank onto the black-sand beach of Iwo Jima in what would prove to be one of the costliest battles of World War II, I will be forever grateful to all who risk their lives to keep our country safe and secure.

Now, let’s get to the story at hand.

While untold numbers of Americans identify actor Gary Sinise as the iconic character Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the equally iconic movie, Forrest Gump, Sinise is today a dedicated supporter of the U.S. military — not just with words, as some are prone to do — but through his actions and donations in support of active-duty military, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families, and others in need.

IN 2004, Sinise founded the Lt. Dan Band (named after his Forrest Gump character) to entertain U.S. troops on USO tours. In 2011, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation to further support his work, including building homes for wounded warriors and providing financial and material aid during various crises. 

On the front page of the foundation’s website, Sinise lays out his mission in simple, yet powerful words:

Hi, I’m Gary Sinise.

You may know me as an actor, but my life’s work has been to honor and support our nation’s veterans, first responders, wounded heroes, families of the fallen, and those enduring invisible wounds. I launched Gary Sinise Foundation to expand that mission.

I hope to see you on this journey. Join us.

Not to digress, but have you noticed how conservatives in Hollywood often use their influence and resources to help people in need, while those on the Left are far more focused on tearing down all that’s good about America and its equally good people? Me, too.

Anyway, in Nashville, Tennessee, a years-long vacant church on the city’s west side is finding new life thanks to CreatiVets, a nonprofit that helps wounded veterans heal through arts and music. After the group decided to buy the $3.35 million property, Sinise stepped up and donated $1 million to help make the project possible. 

Sinise told the AP that many veterans are reluctant to ask for help, but creative outlets like music, art, and theater can offer powerful ways to express and process what they’ve been through, including those who suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder):

In the military, you’re trained to do serious work to protect our country, right? If you’re in the infantry, you’re being trained to kill. You’re being trained to contain any emotion and be strong. Those skills are important when fighting the enemy, but they also take a toll, especially when veterans aren’t taught how to discuss their feelings once the war is over. 

“Quite often, our veterans don’t want any help, but through art, and with theater, as well,” Sinise said, adding: “acting out what they are going through can be very, very beneficial.”

ALSO CHECK OUT: Gary Sinise Gets Emotional, Reveals Why This Year’s Memorial Day Tribute Is the Most Personal Yet

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Here’s just one awesome example of a veteran helped by CreatiVets, via the AP:

David Booth says he is living proof of how CreatiVets can help. And the retired master sergeant, who served 20 years in the U.S. Army as a medic and a counterintelligence agent, wishes he participated in the program sooner.

“For me, this was more important than the last year and a half of counseling that I’ve gone through,” said Booth. “It has been so therapeutic.”

After years of being asked, Booth, 53, finally joined CreatiVets’ songwriting program in September. He traveled from his home in The Villages, Florida, to the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, to meet with two successful songwriters – Brian White, who co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “Blame It on You,” and Craig Campbell, of “Outskirts of Heaven” fame – to help him write a song about his life.

Booth told them about his service, including his injury in Iraq in 2006 when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device and detonated it. 

He suffered a traumatic brain injury in the explosion, and it took months of rehab before he could walk again. His entire cervical spine is fused. He still gets epidurals to relieve the nerve pain. And he still suffers from nightmares and PTSD.

“I think citizens have a responsibility to take care of their defenders,” Sinise said, adding:

There are opportunities out there for all of us to do that and one of the ways to do it is through multiple nonprofits that are out there.

Indeed, there are. 

Again, to all of America, happy Veterans Day. 

While there exist forces, including within our country, that seek to destroy the America in which we grew up, our Armed Forces, first responders, and other brave men and women in law enforcement across this great land stand at the ready to protect us. 

For that, the good people of this country will forever be indebted. 

Note: After more than 40 days of screwing Americans, a few Dems have finally caved. The Schumer Shutdown was never about principle—just inflicting pain for political points.

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