America Supports You: Rumsfeld Praises Actor Sinise for Troop Support
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5, 2005 – Each week the cast of "CSI: NY" uses scientific skill to solve mysteries. But the reason Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited the show's set in Studio City here Aug. 4 was no mystery: actor Gary Sinise is a solid supporter of U.S. servicemembers, and Rumsfeld's a big fan of Sinise and his efforts.  

Rumsfeld visited the CSI set to thank Sinise personally for his support of the "America Supports You" program through his "Operation Iraqi Children" effort.

Sinise, who stars in "CSI: NY" as Detective Mac Taylor, co-founded Operation Iraqi Children with Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand in March 2004. The organization collects and ships school supplies and toys to Iraq for distribution by U.S. troops, providing much-needed materials for Iraqi children while boosting the morale of the servicemembers who pass them out, Sinise said.

In addition, Sinise has made two visits to Iraq as part of USO shows and uses his rock group, "The Lt. Dan Band," named after the character Sinise played in the movie, "Forest Gump," to entertain the troops.

Rumsfeld praised Sinise's efforts to the cast and crew of "CSI: NY," who took a short break from shooting an episode during his visit.

The tides were temporarily turned on the set, as the show's cast and crew gathered around Rumsfeld, shaking hands, snapping photos and asking for autographs, as they watched Rumsfeld and Sinise step into Sinise's trailer for a private chat.

"I've never seen Gary so excited," said Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise and executive producer of "CSI: NY."

"This man is such a patriot and loves his country so much," Zuiker said.

So much so, Zuiker said, that he always knows the perfect gift to give Sinise for his birthday or any other special occasion: a check for his Operation Iraqi Children effort.


Rumsfeld, who joked with Sinise about going to rival high schools in Chicago, told the cast about "all the wonderful things this man has done for the men and women in uniform across the country." He thanked Sinise for his personal involvement in supporting the troops and presented him with a commemorative Pentagon paperweight and official secretary of defense coin to add to Sinise's extensive coin collection gathered during troop visits.

The secretary also shared Sinise's hopes of expanding the program into Afghanistan as well as Iraq.

Sinise told the American Forces Press Service he feels honored to be doing his part of help the troops. "They need us out there," he said. "We're blessed in this country to have an all-volunteer service, not a mandatory service. And I feel obligated to support them as they keep very, very busy on several fronts."

www.operationiraqichildren.org/

Cool!

Bravo Gary Sinise, willing to stand up to the Hollyweird liberals.

BTW: Studio City in the San Fernando Valley which is about 20 miles north of Los Angeles.

I'm going to be watching CSI:NY more often. Gary is the man!

Ben

Its always nice to see someone from hollywood with enough talent and balls to not care what standing up costs him.


Im going to watch Reindeer Games again this weekend.

Wow I had no idea, awesome!

I always did like Gary Sinise.  

Hey, he was Forrest Gump's platoon leader in Nam, so you know he's gotta be cool!

I have always enjoyed the work of Gary Sinise. He's a damn fine actor and has had some great roles. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw him in a bad movie or series.

It's also nice to see that he is very different than 95% of the people in movie business.

Hot damn!

Yet ANOTHER reason to love Apollo 13!

Way to go, Gary!

Quoted: Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw him in a bad movie or series.

Red Planet (or was it Mission to Mars?).

I've seen worse, but....

Quoted: Quoted: Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw him in a bad movie or series. Red Planet (or was it Mission to Mars?). I've seen worse, but....

Yeah, well, okay....

But it didn't suck because of his acting. Now that you mention it I think there were a few others, but nothing comes to mind.

I've always rather like Sinise too. And I really like knowing he's one of the good guys rather than one of the looney left.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw him in a bad movie or series. Red Planet (or was it Mission to Mars?). I've seen worse, but.... Yeah, well, okay.... But it didn't suck because of his acting.

Well THAT is certainly true.

I had no idea what his political tilt was before this.

Am I the only one seeing more and more non-leftists beginning to creep into Hollyweird? Hope the trend continues and accelerates.

Way to go, Lt. Dan!  

Quoted: Its always nice to see someone from hollywood with enough talent and balls to not care what standing up costs him. Im going to watch Reindeer Games again this weekend.

But this could cost him dearly in the future in the realities of Hollywierd. There are some real rabid socialists/communists in Hollywood and they detest the Republicans greatly and anything associated with it. Hollywood is pretty small place, and many things are done on a hand-shake. But I think he may have enough stature where it may not hurt him too badly though.

Quoted: Im going to watch Reindeer Games again this weekend.

Now that movie REALLY sucked. I've started it three times and have yet to finish it. He's perhaps the one decent act in it.

i'm in atlanta and listen to neil bortz sometimes. senise calls in from time to time and basically support sthe troops and various conservative things.  yep. he is a conservative in a sea of silly putty and not afraid to take a stand.

bortz or is it boortz is the guy just came out with a book about the fair-tax. i know he is syndicated outside of the atlanta ga.

Quoted: Quoted: Im going to watch Reindeer Games again this weekend. Now that movie REALLY sucked. I've started it three times and have yet to finish it. He's perhaps the one decent act in it.

You've got to realize Hollywierd operates on odds and percentages. Some of the biggest people in showbiz, puts out a few bombs, look at Tom Cruise's War of the Worlds, Paramont expected it to make big bucks, now it will just break-even at best, etc and etc.

But personally I'm glad that Mr. Senise is one of us.

Not sure if this is true, but I heard that Sinise said that since he couldn't sing or dance, he had nothing to offer the troops he visits, so he takes a satellite phone and lets the soldiers make a call home, on him.

Real, true class shows through like a silver dollar in a Hollywood pile of crap.

dfariswheel: Like all of us, we do whatever it takes to get the job done, whether dancing and singing or just a phone call. Who wouldn't like a phone call from Lt. Dan? I would say that is pretty special for a person that is not specially connected with Hollywood.

BTW: Senise does play in band.

Quoted: I'm going to be watching CSI:NY more often. Gary is the man! Ben

same here and a big +1 for gary !

Well, good. I get to add him to the list of pro-gun actors
Tom Selleck and Bruce Willis.

Lieutenant Dan!

amazing that his career wasn't black listed by the liberals a long time ago