PARKER, Colo. — You know him has Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump” but you probably don’t know that Gary Sinise plays bass guitar in a band named after his most famous character, the Lt Dan Band.
The band performed a charity gig at a small venue in Parker just outside of the Colorado Golf Club.
After spending decades lighting up the silver screen the veteran actor has decided to give back.
“Wherever I was going they were calling me Lt. Dan so I just named the band that from the character just for fun,” says Sinise.
The Lt. Dan Band and the Gary Sinise Foundation support a cause this actor has a real life connection to.
“My dad was in the Navy, my uncle was in World War 2 and in the Navy. My grandfather was in World War 1 and drove an ambulance in France,” he says.
His long family history of veterans pushed Sinise toward helping Vietnam veteran groups in the early 1980’s and he has continued ever since.
“After September 11th and deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan having so many people sacrifice and getting hurt and family loosing loved ones, I just thought there was something I could do to help so I jumped in,” he adds. “I just started doing a lot of military charity events and supporting various organizations and we’re out there filling the gaps where the government leaves off.”
The money raised from this unique concert event and golf tournament on Monday morning will help build homes for severely wounded warriors and raise awareness.
“To have someone of his status in our country…so famous…he doesn’t have to do this, but he has in his heart this wonderful care for veterans,” says Patty Ehline, a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps.
For some lucky veterans, this event was a chance to thank the man who continues to lend his celebrity to a good cause
“It’s so important. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. It’s good to have someone like himself behind it and doing it,” says Rod Zuniga, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Gary Sinise Foundation charity golf tournament starts at 11:00 am at the Colorado Golf Club. Tickets are already sold out.