Welcome to the National Press club. My name is john hughes. I am an editor for our breaking news desk in washington, and i am the president of the National Press club. Our guest today is actor humanitarian given sunnis gary sinise. He will discuss challenges facing americas servicemen and women and what can be done to improve their lives and support their loved ones. But first, i want to introduce our distinguished head table. This Group Includes press club members and guests of our speaker. From the audiences wright, president of d. C. Media connections publisher of stars and stripes, defense reporter for politico and cochair of the National Press clubs young members committee. Amy fickling, editor with one communications news, the staff writer for marine corps times. Jim livingston, a medal of honor recipient and guest of the speaker. [applause] john hughes the chairman of the press Club Speakers Committee the Washington Bureau chief for the buffalo news, and former National Press club president. Skipping over our speaker for a moment the director afternoon indications for fedex and the Speakers Committee member who organized todays event. Thank you, melissa. The National Security correspondent for u. S. News and world reports. Andrea mccarran, reporter and a usa today contributor. And starting thursday, a military service dog raiser. The director of Political Research at c. N. N. , the communication and legislative fellow covering Veterans Issues for representative mike honda. [applause] john hughes i want to welcome our cspan and public radio followers. You can follow us on twitter using npclunch. Gary sinise has devoted great energy to raising support and awareness for americas servicemembers and their families. It was here at the National Press club in 2011 that he announced the launch of the Gary Sinise Foundation. The foundations mission is to boost troop morale and help build resources and selfreliance for servicemen and women who are in transition. The foundations projects include providing custom smartphones for the severely smart homes for the severely wounded. Even before the foundation, he used his celebrity status in support of u. S. Military personnel. His band has performed around the world, raising millions of dollars to benefit the nations veterans. The band is called the Lieutenant Dan band. It is named for his Academy Award nominated role as vietnam veteran Lieutenant Dan in the movie forrest gump. You might know sinise for other roles as well. He spent nearly a decade playing detective matt taylor in csi new york. He also had roles in movies such as apollo 13, the green mile, and ransom. It is his role as servicemember advocate he seems to enjoy most. He serves as spokesman for the honor of metal museum. He is a patron of the g. I. Film festival which highlights movies which positively for trade veterans and the military. He has cohosted the National Memorial day concert for a decade and is certainly a familiar face in washington in that regard. He is a recipient of the president ial citizens medal the second highest civilian honor for deeds performed for the Nations Service members. Tonight, the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation will award him its highest individual honor, the service to america leadership award. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in getting a warm National Press club welcome to mr. Gary sinise. [applause] gary sinise thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Its good to be back. I want to say something. The last time i was here, there was a medallion on the fact that fell down, so i am glad it is not here. I would like to thank the members of the National Press club. John, thank you for the invitation to speak today. It is a great honor for me to return to speak since first having the opportunity in 2007 as National Spokesperson for the American Veterans disabled for life memorial, which after 316 your effort was finally dedicated and opened to the public on october 5 last year. The second time addressing the members of the press club was in support of the documentary film, brothers at work. And a third time, as john said, four years ago, when we first launched the Gary Sinise Foundation. So i guess i have not burned any bridges here at the press club yet. You keep asking me back. Thank you. I would like to speak today about how far the Gary Sinise Foundation has come in those four years with the work the foundation is doing and what the future looks like as we continue to grow. I would like to emphasize how important it is to have nonprofits in the military support space as our military servicemen and women continue to confront the dark forces of this world on many fronts with long and very tough deployments. But first, i would like to acknowledge a few people here today. One of our board members, mr. Bob pence, thank you for coming. I appreciate you being here, sir [applause] gary sinise i have a very distinguished here that john introduced, a friend of mine with us today. General James Livingston was awarded the United States highest military decoration, the medal of honor, for heroic actions in 1968 during the vietnam war. On that fateful day, captain livingston and about 800 marines ran up against a north Vietnamese Company of 10,000 strong enemy combatants. 10,000 against 800 marines. What captain livingston says was a fair fight. [laughter] gary sinise during the ensuing fight, captain livingston was wounded three times through heavy fire. And despite his wounds, he coordinated attacks to destroy over 100 mutually supporting enemy bunkers repelled a savage in any counterattack, and refused to be evacuated from the field until he was assured of the safety of his men. He would serve two combat tours in vietnam. He was presented the medal of honor on may 14 1970, by president richard nixon. Rising in the ranks, he retired from the marine corps as a major general. General livingstons philosophy on leadership is to lead from the front. He said if i am willing to do it then i can ask you to do it. He never had a marine under his command say to him i dont want to do this. Following his example, they all did their job and whatever he asked of them, and performed superbly. That is true and inspiring leadership. So general livingston, thank you, sir, for being here. [applause] gary sinise we are truly grateful for everything youve given in service to our nation. And i know we have several veterans here today, so i want to personally say thank you to all of our veterans for being here and stepping forward to serve our country. It has been said that the United States of america will always be the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave. The veterans that are here today have ensured we live in a free country because they were willing to take the fight to the enemy and keep the enemy from coming to our shores. A community, a city, a country can only flourish if its people have peace in their everyday lives to enjoy their life and liberty, and have the opportunity to pursue their happiness. In doing so, they make their communities flourish with commerce and trade, and create an environment where each childs dream has the hope to be realized. We have seen a nation born of these ideals. From generation to generation, it has shown itself to be the greatest strongest, and most prosperous nation on earth, the envy of the world. Today, we have an allvolunteer force that wears the uniform and our collective home, the United States of america, is kept safe by the men and women of the United States military, willing to serve and sacrifice so much of our way of life is secure. With these sacrifices being made each and every day, there comes much need. That is why today more than ever it is so important to have successful nonprofits in the military support space. As government alone cannot possibly fill all of the needs. Over the years, there have been so many experiences that have led me to realize we must be there for our men and women in uniform to make sure they are taken care of the four, during, before, during, and after the battle. After the tragic events of said timber 11, 2001, wanting to do something to support those who were going into harms way in response to those attacks, i began to volunteer for the u. S. O. Going on handshake tours and entertainment tours with my band to let our military know they were appreciated, that we were thinking of them, and that their service and sacrifice did not go unnoticed. During the thanksgiving holiday in 2009, i was visiting Bagram Air Force base in afghanistan, and general Mike Scaparrotti who was the director of operations for United StatesCentral Command providing oversight to all military operations throughout the centcom area of responsibility, including iraq and afghanistan. He came to me and informed me there would be an angel flight early the following morning for a Fallen Special forces soldier who had been killed in action. The general invited me to the ramp ceremony where the u. S. Military would love the casket of our fallen American Hero on a plane to repatriate his remains back to america. What my eyes saw and what my heart felt that day has always stayed with me. I watched hundreds of american servicemen and women from all branches, most of them including myself, never knew this soldier personally. But they gathered in formation in his honor to pay respects and offer a farewell salute to a brave fellow american soldier. The mood was somber. The casket draped with an American Flag was carried by a members of his unit moving slowly and solemnly onto the plane as the formation was commanded to give their final salute to an american who gave his last full measure and devotion for his country. Indeed, a sight to behold. Members of his unit, who today before were fighting by his side placed his casket on the bed of the c17, kneeled down around it, and offered their final prayers and farewells to their brother. The rest of the formation followed suit, ranked by rank, traveling up the ramp to pay their respects. It was my so bring honor to be by the generals side as we entered the plane and knelt beside the casket. I was flooded with emotion for this young man and his family, the painful and sobering reminder of the cost of freedom. So in looking back on my own journey working with veterans groups in the chicago area in the 1980s supporting our wounded through the disabled American Veterans organization in the 1990s, and post9 11 as i began to understand the full weight our servicemen and women carried with them into battle and oftentimes bring home with them when they return from long deployments, i began to support supporting many military charities and participating in as many support concerts and fundraising events as i could to raise awareness, spirits, and support them. In 2011, i brought all my endeavors together to serve our veterans under one umbrella launching the Gary Sinise Foundation. In just four years with the generosity and support of the American People, we have been able to start numerous programs to help make an important difference in the lives of our Service Members. From building specially adapted custom smart homes providing adapted vehicles and mobility devices for our most severely wounded veterans, to our rise program restoring independence supporting empowerment to putting on Lieutenant Dan band concerts at military hospitals to boost morale, to raising the spirits of the children of our fallen heroes, providing emergency funding for needy military families, supporting First Responders in communities around the country. Each day we are helping our veterans, military families, and First Responders find the strength and support they need to move forward in their lives. And we are impacting the communities they live in. As john said, when i last spoke here in june of 2011, i had been part of Fundraising Efforts to build smart homes at that time for some of the most catastrophically Wounded Service members who returned from iraq and afghanistan. Im proud to say that of the five quadruple amputees from these wars, four living in new homes. And a home is in progress for the fifth. Friday end of 2015, the Gary Sinise Foundation will have participated in the development or construction of up to 35 homes for those suffering various, serious, lifechanging injuries. These homes give our wounded heroes, their families, their caregivers, their freedom and independence back. Im proud to say prior to the creation of the foundation and the four years since the Lieutenant Dan band has performed 318 concerts worldwide in support of our nations defenders and their families. 140 concerts for the u. S. O. , and 178 and raising and benefit concerts. We just performed at the hotel del in coronado on sunday night for a big veterans support concert. The band is part of our nonprofit and is now a program of the foundation. Through our invincible spirit festivals, which we put on at our nations military medical centers, complete with a live Lieutenant Dan band concert and wishes cookout donated by celebrity chef Robert Irvine and the folks at the Great Food Company cisco we have lifted over 50,000 spirits of our heroes, their families, their caregivers, and hospital staff. Giving them respite from the rigors of their medical treatment and reminding them of the hope and positivity along the road to recovery. Through our serving heroes program, we have shown gratitude to our nations defenders by serving them a hearty, classic american meal. Today, we have served over 27,700 meals to five major travel hubs across the nation where our deploying troops go through. We are looking to expand our efforts to include other venues at other airports throughout the country. Our Gary Sinise Foundation relief and Resiliency Program has helped 1,294 veterans and their families through their times of urgent need. 162 children and family members of the fallen. 156 veterans, 944 wounded. The First Responders outreach Gary Sinise Foundation has provided support to train 45 firefighters in black forest colorado, after the devastating fires. Supported the families of the hot shots arizona after 19 firefighters were lost in a deadly firestorm. Donated two Lieutenant Dan vans to the fdny Fire Family Transport Foundation to transport to ill and injured members of the fdny and their families to medical facilities. We have awarded six went to police, fire, and e. M. S. Services. Other programs include our arts and entertainment outreach taking veterans to theaters around the country for a free meal and performance. And as part of our educational outreach, we have a new world war ii program. The most recent partnership with the National WorldWar Ii Museum in new orleans Gary Sinise Foundation has helped finance and historian who has to date , recorded 35 world war ii veterans stories, oral histories, preserved on video. In the museum archive, preserving americas history and their legacy. We also include a trip next week for 50 world war ii veterans from california to see this magnificent museum built in their honor. We have come a long way in four short years, and we are impacting the lives of our veterans and activeduty across the nation. It is truly the most Rewarding Mission i have added my life to serve the members of our military. One of the hardest things to come to terms with when you endeavor to a life of service is the enormity of the need that exists today. It has to be upon us and our communities to close the gap and meet that need. With all the bureaucracy inefficiencies, and difficult challenges currently being reported within the v. A. , it is important there are successful nonprofits in the military support space and that we engage in courage and inspire as many communities as possible to address the needs of local veterans. So i applaud all of the military nonprofits here today doing good work. During the conflicts in afghanistan and iraq, we have seen remarkable advances in field medicine and care. While this may have reduced the number of casualties