Gary Sinise and Car Accident: Actor Unable to Perform at Benefit
Actor Gary Sinise was not able to attend the fundraiser planned for yesterday, after a car accident caused him to take some time off. The actor's band, The Lieutenant Dan Band, was scheduled to perform at Martinsville High School on Saturday night.
Sinise's spokesman said he was in a car accident on Friday night; he was a passenger, but not seriously hurt. He was forced, though, to cancel the band's appearance at a fundraiser for a Marine who lost his legs and arms after an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
The Lieutenant Dan Band, named after Sinise's character in the hit "Forrest Gump," has gone around the globe performing to help benefit military families. Sinise has always been passionate about raising awareness of the plight of servicemen and women, helping them adjust to life after active duty and fundraising for families in need.
He currently serves as the National Spokesperson for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial and has worked with other celebrities, including Joe Mantegna, to raise awareness of the needs of disabled veterans.
In 2008, Sinise received the Presidential Citizen Medal by George W. Bush for his involvement and activism on behalf of the military. He spoke about his efforts and passion at the Beale Air Force Base in 2011.
"Wherever I go for the military, they always call me 'Lt. Dan,'" he said. "What I really want to be remembered as is a good father, a man that does what he need to take care of his family and someone who supports the troops that protect the country I live in. It's a dangerous world out there, and anytime anything happens, the U.S. military is there to help."
