>> 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 america's 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 audience's wright, president of d.c. media connections publisher of "stars and stripes," defense reporter for politico and cochair of the national press club's 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 today's 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 c-span and public radio followers. you can follow us on twitter using #npclunch. gary sinise has devoted great energy to raising support and awareness for america's 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 foundation's mission is to boost troop morale and help build resources and self-reliance for servicemen and women who are in transition. the foundation's 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 nation's 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 presidential citizens medal the second highest civilian honor for deeds performed for the nation's 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. it's 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 livingston's 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 don't 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 you've 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 child's 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 all-volunteer 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 harm's 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 states central 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 c-17, 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 general's 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 1980's supporting our wounded through the disabled american veterans organization in the 1990's, and post-9/11 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. i'm 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, life-changing injuries. these homes give our wounded heroes, their families, their caregivers, their freedom and independence back. i'm 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 nation's 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 nation's 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 nation's 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 world war 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 america's 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 active-duty 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, many more have returned home injured or seriously wounded. as we have now been at war for the past or teen years the last 14 years roughly 50,000 military personnel live among us bearing the severe wounds of war physically and mentally. there struggles can affect the entire household and ongoing , treatment can quickly become ruinously expensive. we have become aware of the startling shortfalls in the care of these men and women often faced. with the media, they have provided troubling of the health-related complications that veterans experience in seeking care, the bigger picture is alarming. survey data suggests 71% of americans do not understand what combat veterans endure, and 84 percent of veterans polled said the public has little idea of what challenges they face in life after combat. we need to raise public consciousness on a grassroots level. emotional trauma is at epidemic proportions. from 2002 to 2012, 103,000 972 cases of posttraumatic stress were reported. according to a report from the department of veterans affairs an average of 22 american veterans continue to take their lives every day. physical injuries often compound emotional damage. in the same time span, 1715 battle injury amputations were performed. beyond the personal struggles, loss of limb and/or physical disfiguration places tremendous stress on veterans' families, loved ones often mistake on the role of caregivers. post-traumatic stress can affect the entire family. for our wounded, maintaining access to ongoing health care support systems is a daunting task. reentering society and finding employment is especially difficult. more than half of all veterans report feeling disconnected from their communities. their sense of disconnect is a solvable problem. willingness to help and raising awareness will help where help is needed within individual communities. those are important first steps. local citizens in every community need to connect with these veterans and their families to provide support however possible. as citizens who benefit from what they do for us, it is our duty. very simply, if every neighborhood in every community in every town and city, in every state, sought out their local veterans and offered their hand, we would greatly reduce the problem and was likely have the -- most likely have the problem solved. it is a dangerous and unpredictable world. we need to keep our military strong and ready to face the evils of this world that would seek to destroy our way of life. they are our freedom providers. they and their families need our help. as we all know, we all too often take our freedom for granted. i recently returned to my third trip to korea performing for our troops, and a third visit to the dmz, a strange -- very strange and sad place. this time, while there something happened that did not happen in my previous trips. as we came out of the building and approached the borderline two north korean guards came right up to the border's edge to take pictures of our group. i was two feet away, and could look directly into the eyes of these cards -- guards. haunting and very sad eyes. they know nothing but worship of the supreme leader and are slaves to their master. perhaps there is no place on earth where one can feel the palpable difference between freedom and slavery more than standing on the border between north and south korea. the north koreans know nothing nothing of freedom. for three generations, they have been oppressed by a dictatorship indoctrinated by a regime that has enslaved them and sealed them off from the rest of the world. the north koreans have a military that is there to suppress them and take their freedoms away. but with the united states by their side, like all of us in the u.s., the south koreans have a military that's very purpose is to protect their freedoms and provide life, liberty, and the ability for every man, woman, and child to pursue their happiness. education is the key to making sure our generation and future generations know the high cost of freedom and what our military men and women sacrifice and indirect in providing it as it is precious, and we must never take it for granted. not everyone in this world gets to live like we do. is there any doubt there are evil forces in this world, that given the opportunity would do anything within their power to destroy what we as americans and all western nations have grown so accustomed to? freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. like our brave heroes of world war ii when there were only two possible outcomes in the world at that time, tyranny or freedom, our defenders today stand as guardians of all that we hold dear against another evil that crucified as christians and slaves and oppresses women and children and punishes anyone who does not submit to their twisted view of the world. on october 22, 1962, addressing the nuclear threat posed by the soviet union and the u.s. response to missiles in cuba president john f. kennedy said, "the path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are. but it is the one most consistent with our character and courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. the cost of freedom is always high. americans have always paid it. one path we shall never choose is the path of surrender or submission." today, we face many threats to peace and security of the world. indeed, full of hazards of the present, and we are thankful to have american men and women willing to do the dangerous work necessary to ensure that we remain free and secure. still with the disconnect between the average american and its military, i believe educating our citizens and youth as to what our military men and women in during combat with long deployments away from family and friends is in order so that we better understand why it is critically important to support them and take care of them. this is why i want to talk to you today about the importance of the medal of honor museum the effort to build a national museum in mount pleasant, south carolina. in retirement, general livingston is a very busy man. among other things, he is a number of the board of directors of the medal of honor museum foundation. in addition, he along with seven other medal of honor recipients comprise the steering committee which will review all museum exhibits and programs to ensure they are consistent with the mission of the congressional medal of honor society. the society is the brotherhood of the 79 living medal of honor recipients. education can come in many forms. one way is through memorials and museums where the stories of those who served have a permanent place to have their voices heard. since the first medal of honor was awarded by president abraham lincoln on march 25, 1863, more than 25 million men and women have served during our nation's conflicts. fewer than 3500 of them, less than .2%, have received the medal of honor. those who wear the metal represent america's bravest and best. all who have served and sacrificed in defense of our nation. their stories are lessons for us all in how to live our lives with honor integrity, and care -- character. my own history with the medal of honor society and foundation goes back to 2007. i've been humbled and blessed to serve on the foundation's president's advisory group and now on the board of directors as a national spokesperson for the medal of honor museum effort. it has been my privilege and honor to get to know many of the recipients of the medal of honor personally and to hear their stories, to be among america's bravest, to listen to them, and interact with them has been a blessing and a true education. they have all shown me a quiet strength and modesty. they all say they where the medal of honor him and not for themselves, but for all those who fought so bravely alongside them and did not make it home. that we would remember them and their sacrifice. more than 18% 646 of the medals , awarded since 1863, have been presented posthumously, but from the civil war until world war ii, of the 2418, just 83 were presented posthumously. from world war ii to the present however, more than 60% of the metals have been awarded posthumously. 58% in world war ii, 73.8% in the korean war 62 .9% in the vietnam war, and 43.7% in the wars in iraq and afghanistan. within the last few decades, the defense department has reviewed records of a number of potential medal of honor recipients who have been passed over the past because of their race, religion or ethnicity. as a result of these reviews, a number of african americans, hispanics, japanese, and jewish servicemen have received long overdue recognition is medal of honor recipients. medal of honor recipients hail from every walk and every station in life. they reflect the ethnic, cultural, economic, religious , and educational diversity. that is a hallmark of the american experience. all 50 states, the district of columbia, puerto rico, guam, and more than half a dozen nations are represented. more than 20% of recipients were born outside of the united states. today, as i mentioned, there are 79 living recipients, fewer than at any time since the civil war when the medal was first awarded. the oldest recipient a world war ii veteran is 94. the youngest, a veteran of the war in afghanistan is 25. their average age is 71 years old. the medal of honor is the nation's highest award for valor in combat. it is the only military medal that is worn around the neck. it's recipients are the only individuals whom the president salutes as a matter of custom. it is awarded by the president in the name of congress to a number of the armed forces who distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantly risking his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against the united states. so the medal of honor museum is in the works. why? to preserve the stories of medal of honor recipients presenting them to new generations sorely. in need of true heroes to look up to and emulate, to help visitors understand what it means to preserve service above self, and the meaning and price of freedom. the future site of the museum is located at patriot's point not pleasant, south carolina, on the eastern shore of charleston harbor directly across from the uss yorktown. throughout the museum, visitors will have multiple opportunities to meet and interact and learn from the recipients through films, videos, and dynamic elements, and in-depth explorations of personal stories and experiences that will honor and promote the ideals and values associated with the medal. two galleries will be devoted to educate america's youth and citizenry. as one teacher recently commented on the character development program, saying, "our children want to change the world on so many levels. the medal of honor curriculum offers them the tools and opportunity to do just that, now and in the future." again, education is the key to helping the youth of america understand and be inspired by the valor and selfless acts of courage that those who earned the medal have valiantly portrayed in the most harrowing of circumstances. i'm honored to serve on the board of directors and is national spokesperson for this worthy an important project and encourage you to seek out more information by going to the medal of honor museum website. mohmusuem.org. you can learn more about the gary sinise foundation at gary sinisefoundation.org. james michener in his book, "the bridges of toko-ri," writes movingly of the heroes who fought in the korean conflict, and in the final scene, and admiral waits on the carrier waiting for pilots he knows will never return from their mission. as he waits, he asks in the silent darkness, "where did we get such men?" today as i stand in the presence of general livingston and and all our veterans today, i ask again, where did we find such men and women who are willing to go into harms way to keep us free? the answer is very simple. we find them where we have always found them. in our villages and towns, on our city streets, and in our shops, and on our farms. america's families defend us all. one generation fighting for america's future, one generation inspiring the next so that again a young american would rise out of the communities that would dare to stand and face those who would do us harm and say boldly and with conviction, "not on my watch." to those who stand guard deserving to know there is a grateful nation standing behind them, and who may, from time to time question whether their service will go unnoticed or who would ask will our sacrifices the sacrifices of our fallen, our wounded, our military families, be forgotten? i say, and i encourage all of our fellow americans to say "not on my watch." thank you. [applause] john hughes: thank you very much. each generation of war has prompted lessons learned. ptsd awareness out of world war ii and korea and separating troop support for more support coming out of vietnam. what do you think we should learn from the veterans of the wars in iraq and afghanistan? gary sinise: there's much to learn. thankfully -- and i will say this, i have vietnam veterans in my family, so i'm very motivated by what i learned from the vietnam veterans in my family years ago in the late 1970's and early 1980's when they came home from war. a big catalyst for me today in supporting our iraq and afghanistan veterans and trying to ensure they have the services they need, they are showing appreciation they deserve, are from what happened to our vietnam veterans. and the shocking reality at the shameful way they were treated when they came home from work and the services they needed that they did not get. we have much to learn. as i said, there's a major epidemic within the military community of those suffering from posttraumatic stress. thankfully there are a lot of services within the v.a. being provided, but also within the military nonprofit support space. part of my feeling about this is with the thousands of military charities out there, the military nonprofit filling these gaps and trying to provide services like service dogs these dogs are very important to mental health, thankfully, there are military nonprofits. because we all know the challenges the v.a. has some wonderful people working within the v.a., but it is a challenging environment for veterans. thankfully there are military nonprofits trying to address needs on multiple fronts. the taps organization is here today, bonnie carol, who is providing a great service to the families of our fallen. there is a posttraumatic stress involved there for our iraq and afghanistan families that they go through. thankfully, there are services being provided. and i encourage anyone who is seeking service or seeking help from the iraq and afghanistan community to continue passing on the information of where these services are provided. there is a lot to learn from those who served in past wars and certainly those serving now. we can never do enough for those serving our nation. there is a lot more to be done. and we can always try to do a little bit more. john hughes: with nearly a decade of war winding down, how do you see the mission of your foundation changing as fewer and fewer combat veterans come out of the armed forces? and with the wars winding down do you worry it will become more difficult to get the american people and political system to appreciate and properly serve veterans? gary sinise: it is already is more difficult. our service members continue to be deployed in harm's way yet, they are off the front pages. but the residual effects of these wars will last for decades , as they continue to last from previous wars. we still have challenging environments within the veterans community from all wars. i have never been to combat. i know many of our veterans here have. it never leaves you. it never goes away. you can certainly move beyond it , but the more we can keep consciousness and keep people aware of what's happening within our military community, the more services will continue to be provided. i think this is where the challenge becomes greatest as we do drawdown and leave the battle space and front pages. as i said, the residual effects of these wars will last for decades. we need the services to be provided continually. that is where somebody like me can come in and be useful, you know. i can talk to the press club and express myself and get a public platform around the country to try to keep this awareness up and help as many military charities as i possibly can because the need is enormous. there are lots of unmet needs out there. we will continue to face these challenges. keeping awareness of is important, it is primary. thank you having me today to keep awareness up and talk to members of the press club about this. what you can do is help keep this in the consciousness of the american people. we are tired of war. we have been at war for 14 years. yet our military continues to serve, they continue to have challenges. our military hospitals continue to serve those who have been injured years ago. i know people who have been going through rehabilitation for years, and will continue to do that. we have one of our families here. louis and claudia avila are here. we are going to be doing a home-building project for them. they are at the hospital every day. god bless you for serving our country. thank you for being here today. we can never do enough for you and what you have done, louis. [applause] john hughes: for those not familiar with the story, please tell why you took on the leadership of this noble cause. to broaden that, you talked about after 9/11 getting involved. was it really after 9/11 that it stepped up? did you have this passion even years before and growing up? talk about your own evolution to where you are today as such a devoted service to this effort. gary sinise: as i said, it begins with the family members. it begins with family members on my side of the family, world war i veteran, my grandfather served driving an ambulance in france on the front line in france. two uncles in world war ii. my dad served in the navy on my wife's side of the family, her brother's served in vietnam. i learned much from them. it is really the vietnam side of the family that opened my eyes in the late 1970's and early 1980's. by the time i was old enough to absorb things as a young teenager, the family members on my side of the family were well beyond their service. i don't remember my grandfather ever talking about world war i. i don't remember my uncle talking about world war ii, until i started doing this work. then i would take you everywhere and get him talking. he would spend memorial day here with me at the concert every year. he unfortunately passed away at 90 years old this past october as did my brother-in-law, who was a combat medic in vietnam and stayed in the army for 22 years. i learned so much from him, so much from the veterans, for my wife's two brothers. they got me thinking. i got involved with vietnam veterans groups in the 1980's in the chicago area supporting them. 10 years later, i had this opportunity to audition to play a vietnam veteran. i really wanted to do that having veterans in my family and being involved with vietnam veterans in the chicago area. luckily, i got that part. that led me to an association with the disabled american veterans organization. that relationship goes back 20 years. and then after september 11th when we were attacked, it just felt this is where i could employ my service helping those who serve and those going out in response to those devastating attacks. i volunteered for the u.s.o., and started visiting our troops. this is decades old. it all came together for years ago when i created the gary sinise foundation, launched it right here at the press club. and now, you know, my objective here is to have this foundation be here long after i'm gone serving and honoring the needs , of our military and veteran. community. like i said, i don't think we can ever do enough for our freedom providers. this is a dangerous 21st century. we are going to be facing a lot of challenges. the military will be called upon many times in the coming decades. john hughes: "the washington post" easily ran a story headlined, "military tributes at baseball games, true honors or hollow gestures?" how would you answer that question? also, talk about the change from after vietnam to today and the appreciation veterans now receive from what they once did. what has driven that change primarily you think? gary sinise: i can't respond to the baseball game thing or sports thing. i really don't know anything about that. but i think we learned some hard lessons from the known -- from vietnam. general livingston stayed in the military for 33 years. i know for my brother-in-law jack, who stayed in the military for 22 years after vietnam it was a good place for him to be. but for my other brother-in-law, my wife's brother who was a helicopter pilot in vietnam, he got out after his tour. and it was very challenging for him. to try to blend in and forget, to pretend he was not a vietnam veteran, which at that time so many who had been to vietnam had to do. so it was a challenging time. our nation treated our veterans in a shameful manner. it was a difficult time for our country. and certainly a difficult time for our veterans. it was a hard time for the army. very difficult time for our marines. but we learned i think the reason you see over 40,000 military nonprofit today and there are over 40,000 that have popped up in the last 14 years. i think one of the reasons is because people are aware of what happened in the late 1960's and early 1970's when our vietnam veterans were treated poorly. like me, many of them wanted to dive in and prevent that from happening to our active duty servicemembers in iraq and afghanistan. education, as i was saying, is such a critically important part of letting our young people understand why it's important to support this .1% of our population that serves in the military. a very small percentage of over 300 million people are serving in uniform defending our country. a lot of people, a lot of young people, if they don't have a personal connection like i do to someone serving in the military, there is a disconnect. there is a serious disconnect between the average american citizen and its military. keeping awareness up, education -- that is why i am supporting the medal of honor our nation museum. this museum project will act as a beacon of education for what service and selflessness and character is all about. we want our young people to understand something greater than themselves, of service. that does not mean it always applies to war and the war fighter. but the legacy of the medal of honor is about so much more than that, isn't it? that is why this museum project is important. that is why i am supporting it. that's why i encourage you to go to mohmuseum.org to learn more about it. we have a national world war ii museum in new orleans honoring the service of our world war ii veterans and educating our young people as to what happened when freedom and tyranny were the only choices in the world. i think this medal of honor museum will be a great education for people. john hughes: we just have a few minutes left, and before i ask you a question or two about hollywood, i just have some housekeeping. the national press club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. we fight for a free press worldwide. for more information on the club, visit our website, that's press.org, and to donate to our nonprofit journalism institute visit press.org/institute. i would also like to remind you about upcoming programs. on thursday, the archbishop, president of the u.s. conference of catholic bishops and the cardinal, archbishop of washington, will discuss pope francis'encyclical on the environment. on june 20th, and for the next two saturdays after that, our journalism institute will hold a series of training sessions on cybersecurity. on july 8, the washington capitals coach will address the national press club luncheon. i would now like to present mr. sinise with our traditional national press club mug. [applause] gary sinise: thanks. [applause] john hughes: those, of course, are very special, valuable gifts and you now have four, i believe, so you are working on the set. in the time remaining, i wanted to ask you. you mentioned you can use your celebrity status to promote these causes. of course, you keep working on that interview career as well. you have got a new series upcoming. tell us about this new t.v. series you are beginning. gary sinise: oh, yeah, the day job. [laughter] gary sinise: "csi new york" off the air in february of 2013. since then, i have been pouring all my energy into the military support, veteran support foundation, building the foundation. traveling around the country and the world raising awareness, and that kind of thing. but i was approached by cbs about doing a private for a new spinoff series of the show "criminal minds." we shot the pilot. it was an episode of the "criminal minds" series where they introduced a new team of the international division of the f.b.i. and the behavioral analysis unit. so, they picked us up, so i'm going back to work. july 27, we start shooting in california. we will explore the international division, as i said. so every week, we will be in a different country chasing bad guys in trying to protect americans. [applause] john hughes: in preparation for this role, you are doing some work out here as well? gary sinise: yes. tomorrow, i'm going to the f.b.i. and i will be getting some briefings, meeting some people, doing some research for the part. so i get to go out to the f.b.i. tomorrow. this will be my first time there. i'm very much looking forward to it. one of our technical advisors is taking me there. he is in and the a guy moonlights -- he is an f.b.i. a guy who moonlights as a writer. john hughes: ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a round of applause to our speaker today. [applause] gary sinise: thank you for having me. [applause] i would also like to thank the press club staff and broadcast center for organizing today's event. if you would like a copy of today's program or to learn more about the national press club, go to our website press.org. i want to thank all of the service organizations that have joined us today. we are grateful for all of the work you do and thank you so much. we are adjourned. [applause] >> here just a few of our featured programs for the holiday weekend. on c-span tonight at 8:00, an interview with our crystal's burger junior. and sunday night, members of the church committee, walter mondale, and gary hart on their brunt great

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