Andrew Breitbart: Gary Sinise - This War’s Bob Hope
Posted by Dirty Harry on Monday, December 15th, 2008
Andrew Breitbart’s written a touching tribute to Gary Sinise, whose done more than just tirelessly support the troops. Through his program that made it possible for our military to give millions of dollars worth of school supplies to Iraqi children, Sinise became an important goodwill ambassador in the precise place that was necessary in order for us to win the war –the hearts and mind of the Iraqi people. Some real thought went into that program, aiming it squarely and compassionately at both victory and completing the important work of liberation.
Last week Sinise won the Presidential Citizens Medal. Here’s just one example of why:
To get a sense of the scope of what Mr. Sinise means to soldiers like Spc. Hale, filmmaker and Air Force veteran Jonathan Flora followed him and his band to Afghanistan and Iraq in 2008. He recounts one time when he witnessed one of Mr. Sinise´s typical interactions with the troops.
“It was hot, Iraq hot when we stopped at a check point before entering an FOB (Forward Operating Base). Gary began speaking with a soldier through the window and soon we were all standing outside so he could have his picture taken with him and a few of his buddies. Soon there were at least fifty guys around him and he greets each one as he always does. This is an unscheduled stop and we are being urged to move on so as to be on time for his next stop, but Gary, still, meets with each one and gives them their time. Finally, we have to move on as he says good-bye to the last soldier.
“As we are about to get into the vehicle we hear the guys yelling and in the distance is one more soldier. He is dressed in full battle-rattle humping as fast as he can in this unbearable heat to get to Gary before he leaves. He had just been relieved from his point and heard that Gary Sinise had stopped by the check point, and he was determined not to miss him. Gary without hesitation stopped and waited and he greeted this young man as if he was the first man in line, full of enthusiasm and appreciation.
“When we did finally get into the vehicle I mentioned to Gary how I observe how he makes each and every man or woman feel special and appreciated, he paused in thought before answering, as he often does, and then says with a heavy heart, ‘It’s because we don’t know what the next hour holds for them. As tired as I might get sometimes, and I do, it is nothing compared to what they go through day-after-day with the price they are so readily willing to pay.’ “
One Gary Sinise up against all of Hollywood mustering their money and might with 15 (and counting) anti-war films…
I like our chances.
Filed in General |
Supramom2000on 15 Dec 2008 at 8:23 am 1THANK YOU Harry for finding this and putting it out for us to see. I have been touting Gary Sinise for 3 or 4 years now and never have seen him get the credit he deserves - although O’Reilly brings him up and calls him a patriot.
I never saw this last week in any other news outlet. NONE!! Not even Fox News. That is a sad thing.
Agent Jon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:25 am 2God bless and keep Mr. Sinise.
Traffic Cop Timmyon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:26 am 3Some talk about changing the world. Some actually do something about it. A well-deserved accollade to Mr. Sinise.
Stephanieon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:26 am 4Now that is a man! Dang!
texacaliroseon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:27 am 5Gary Sinise is my hubba hubba.
Traffic Cop Timmyon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:34 am 6Supramom2000, news organizations don’t have time to cover EVERYTHING. After all, they need time to cover stories like cat fights on reality shows. Now THAT’s news the public has a right to know!
Growltigeron 15 Dec 2008 at 8:36 am 7Gary Sinise is a good actor. Though I enjoy William Peterson’s original CSI, I find myself enjoying CSI NY more. Sinise also excels at playing a villain, usually a much more interesting role than that of “hero”. What was the name of that Affleck movie a few years back? “Reindeer something”. Sinise played the bad guy. He was great. Stole the film right out from under Affleck.
But, of course, Affleck, dull as he is as an actor, gets big roles because he’s careful to toe the politically correct ideology. Sinise
is his own man, so joins the “grey list”.
PerfectTommyon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:41 am 8“Reindeer Games”
EPorvaznikon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:45 am 9A man amongst the acting boys out here, Steph. Fo’ sho’!
Dirty Harryon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:46 am 10I heard so many negative things about Reindeer Games but none of them came true when I watched it. It is what it is - a perfectly entertaining B-action flick. I really like the movie for what it is.
And I don’t get the Ben Affleck hate, either. Sure he’s made some crappy films but he’s a solid actor when he stays in his range. And as we saw last year, he’s a very talented director.
It’s Damon I don’t get. He makes “wooden” look good.
Traffic Cop Timmyon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:47 am 11He seems like a guy you could sit down and have a serious, intelligent conversation with. He seems very humble. I have heard him interviewed about his charity and I was impressed.
Bonnie_on 15 Dec 2008 at 8:52 am 12Sinise also played the bad guy in “Ransom” with Mel Gibson. He’s like Alan Rickman — he plays a bad guy so good!
And my favorite Sinise role is his first, I think, as Stuart Redman in The Stand.
This is what actors once were in America, role models and heroes with a sense of their own place in the culture and an appreciation for what America has given them. Sinise is old-school Hollywood.
Growltigeron 15 Dec 2008 at 9:10 am 13“And I don’t get the Ben Affleck hate, either. Sure he’s made some crappy films but he’s a solid actor when he stays in his range. And as we saw last year, he’s a very talented director.”
I don’t hate Affleck. I thought he was excellent as Steve Reeves in “Hollywood”, but I suspect Reeves in his natural state came across as a dullard, too. I thought he did a decent job in “Reindeer Games”, but his acting chops couldn’t stand up to Theron and/or Sinise. Unlike Damon, he isn’t so bad as to keep me from seeing the film. It’s just that he isn’t good enough to make me see a film just because he’s in it. Very few can do that these days — Sinise might be one. He’s never bad.
Keiraon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:11 am 14I am not a huge Affleck fan but I watched “Surviving Christmas” the other night on tv. The film just got more unwatchable as it went along but the whole comedic set-up was pretty brilliantly played by Affleck.
And my husband says he’ll never dis his acting skills again after that awesome Olbermann sketch on SNL.
As for Sinise…he is just the coolest.
Bad Ass Liberalon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:11 am 15He’s a really good actor, he plays a role in CSI NY.
JohnLockeon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:15 am 16Wow. When we live in an America where Barack Obama is the President-Elect and people will trample an innocent human being to death rushing to buy the latest expensive toy, it’s stories like this that really help restore your faith in humanity. What an extraordinary man.
wfon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:39 am 17All this and a highly watchable actor, too, and I´ve said this before I knew about his politics.
Brandonon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:43 am 18It’s so nice to see stories like that, truly it is. With all of the negativity and the seeming cornucopia of assclowns we get out of Hollywood people like Gary remind us of the promise Hollywood once held and God willing one day will again. Like it or not having Hollywood on our side would make a huge difference just as it did in WW2. They’re our face to the rest of the world.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:51 am 19As impressive as it is, I think Mr. Sinise deserves even more than the Presidential Citizens Medal.
But then I bet nothing makes him feel better than to know he has the support of the men and women in the service. I bet there are a lot of other ‘celebrities’ that would be largely ignored by the men and women that put their lives on the line for us.
God bless Mr. Sinise.
USS Benon 15 Dec 2008 at 9:52 am 20Gary Sinise is a good role model and all around good guy.
And a heckuva actor too! I would watch anything he’s in even if I didn’t like it, but that hasn’t been the case.
Mr24pon 15 Dec 2008 at 10:05 am 21Gary Sinise is a true Patriot. What is so amazing is that he’s not out there yelling,”Look at what I’m doing! Don’t you think I’m a good person.” The fact that a lot of people don’t know what he’s done is on one level sad because I wish more people did. But at the same time honorable because it’s not about him.
1LT JAFon 15 Dec 2008 at 11:25 am 22Actually when you read the article Fox News will be doing a hour long story on Sinise starting on 10 January..
He is an American Hero..
wpdunn71901on 15 Dec 2008 at 11:52 am 23One of the reasons you don’t hear about thr good things Mr. Sinise is, that he doent seek out publicity for his good works.
a true patriot and gentleman.
Steven Bushimi is a good person too
Traffic Cop Timmyon 15 Dec 2008 at 12:18 pm 24What’s next for Mr. Sinise? Maybe he’ll get a shoe or two thrown at him!
Stephanieon 15 Dec 2008 at 12:28 pm 25Really BAL? Wow..none of us knew that? Sighhhhhhhh
I think my fav. Sinese moment was his take on Truman. He also was awesome in Of Mice and Men with John Malkovitch.
Mr Stay Pufton 15 Dec 2008 at 12:59 pm 26Great photo. Two American Heroes.
An underrated gem with Sinise and the wonderful Madeleine Stowe is “Impostor”, a film based on a Philip K. Dick short story.
Johnny Ed's Babyon 15 Dec 2008 at 1:52 pm 27Mr. Sinise would probably be very happy to have a shoe thrown at him.
Of course he has to take out a murdering dictator first but I bet he’d be up for it.
Lord Jiggyon 15 Dec 2008 at 1:59 pm 28Sinise makes anything worth watching, even if he’s only got a lie or two. Remember “The Quick and the Dead”? He had a small small part, but was completely believable.
Glad to see he’s walking the walk, unlike the poseurs who live to talk the talk.
Remember, as Bobcat Goldwaith said to an unappreciative Hollywood audience, “It’s easy to be politically correct when you live in a gated neighborhood.”
Kiton 15 Dec 2008 at 2:00 pm 29JEB,
“Mr. Sinise would probably be very happy to have a shoe thrown at him.
Of course he has to take out a murdering dictator first but I bet he’d be up for it.”
Good one.
texacaliroseon 15 Dec 2008 at 3:45 pm 30Regarding Ben Affleck’s redemption:
http://www.opgratitude.com/video.php
Moon 15 Dec 2008 at 3:53 pm 31I love that he doesn’t walk around drawing attention to himself about the things he does. That is the sign of a true gentleman.
dakotaon 15 Dec 2008 at 4:44 pm 32It does my heart good to see a true American, one who appreciates our troops and what they are doing in that part of the world. All these other countries can bad mouth us, but they would be speaking German or Russian if it wasn’t for our guys who gave their lives for them. Do those people not know what Saddam was doing all those years? Killing millions and now they have a chance to get order established and lead a normal, peaceful life. Thank God for America.
Donnaon 15 Dec 2008 at 8:05 pm 33Gary is such a class act. He too is a hero and G.W. is my hero for keeping us safe. Too bad there was no mention of this in my local paper (The Dallas Morning News). But then again, I don’t look there for my news anyway. Yet, they seem to find space for tools like Sean Penn who has befriended dictators like Castro and Chavez.
God Bless Gary!
tranquilitason 15 Dec 2008 at 8:42 pm 34Not everything that comes out of Chicago is bad.
I was reading a military blog recently that told a story of a visit to a military hospital in CA a few weeks ago. Sinise told one injured soldier he was visiting that when the soldier was better he was going to fly him to see his band (Lt. Dan Band) perform. I thought that was so cool. Yeap, the guy does a lot of stuff no one ever hears about. It’s nice to hear a bit about it once in awhile but really I’d rather the press not make a big deal because they’ll make it about Sinise and politics.
s credeuron 16 Dec 2008 at 10:58 am 35Simply the best. I can remember the day/week/hour I first saw Lt. Dan. Shock and awe performance. Been in love with him ever since. A truly great man, American.
BTW–http://www.operationiraqichildren.org/
NavyMomon 16 Dec 2008 at 11:19 am 36I love both the men in the photo, DH.
Thank you, Gary Sinise.
Thank you, President Bush.
Kiton 18 Dec 2008 at 10:11 pm 37Thank you Mr. Sinise!
ruthon 23 Mar 2010 at 2:11 pm 38I knew there was something about Gary Sinise that makes his MAC TAYLOR model character really speak to the audience. Thanks so much for posting this. Gary Sinise really deserves a heads up.
He knows where he’s at, he knows what he can do and he does it. It’s a breath of fresh air to know that famous people like Gary could actually spare time to give others the attention and hope they need.
‘hope other famous stars could do the same thing without cameras around them.