Hands-on support Mixed martial arts hall-of-famer Tito Ortiz is a longtime supporter of the troops. In addition to his mul- tiple visits to military installations in Iraq and other places worldwide, he spent a week in July 2011 doing rehab training with veterans at the Punishment Training Center in Huntington Beach, Calif. The training was part of Pro vs. G.I. Joe: Rehabbing with the Troops, a pro- gram that invites veterans to take on intense mental and physical chal- lenges as a means of rehabilitation. Former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Chad Lewis not only has toured with the USO, but in May 2011, he also climbed with retired New England Patriots star linebacker Tedy Bruschi, ex-Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, and four wounded warriors to attempt the ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro. “Two of the guys had lower right leg amputations, one Marine lost her eye in Iraq, and one Marine suff ered from PTSD,” says Lewis. “We started at ground zero in New York and fl ew to Tanzania. We spent 12 days total and seven days on the mountain get- ting to the top. Two of the warriors were able to summit and two had to be taken down the mountain by stretcher because of altitude-related problems. We got to know them very well, and we will be connected forever.”
Other support
Some celebrities and public fi gures go beyond visits. The Sopranos’ James Gandolfi ni auctioned off his ward- robe from the show to benefi t the Wounded Warrior Project. Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giff ords and her retired astronaut husband Mark Kelly served Thanksgiving dinner to active duty and retired servicemembers in Giff ords’ home state of Arizona. And although Chip Davis and his
iconic Mannheim Steamroller often perform their music on tour both
overseas and domestically for mili- tary audiences, Davis always is look- ing for other ways to help out. He received the Offi ce of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Ser- vice award in 2008, a year in which he donated more than 1 million CDs of his music to troops. He also has provided both complimentary and deeply discounted Christmas CDs to the VFW, performed free con- certs, and developed and donated a patent-pending ambient therapy system that is used in hospitals such as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.; on the USS Nebraska (SSBN-739); and in Fisher House facilities. This audio system plays a soundtrack of nature sounds intended to allevi- ate anxiety associated with being in confi ned spaces. Davis treasures the letters he gets
from recipients of his generosity, es- pecially those from servicemembers deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. “No matter how many I get, they always stop me in my tracks,” he says.
Continuing reach Will the withdrawal from current confl icts mean celebrity star power won’t be needed as much? Jonathan Sullivan, executive vice president of development for the Wounded Warrior Project, doesn’t think so. He is looking for creative strategies to reach the American public and gen- erate awareness about needs. “The injuries to our wounded
warriors are lifelong and aff ect not only themselves but [also] their fami- lies and loved ones,” Sullivan says. “Obviously, when a celebrity lends his or her voice … it has a positive impact and usually draws media at- tention, so we can continue to tell empowering stories.”
MO
— Latayne C. Scott is a freelance writer based in New Mexico. Her last feature article for Military Offi cer was “9 Steps to Self-Publishing,” January 2012.
Touring for Troops
Actor Gary Sinese, who gained fame in Forrest Gump (Paramount Pictures, 1996) for his role as Lieutenant Dan, enjoyed his first USO tour with other celebrities in 2003 so much he immediately signed up for more “handshake tours.” Later, he began taking along a group of musician friends he called “The Lt. Dan Band” and performing for the troops. “I realized that all the bases I
was visiting had … families back home, and it felt just as important to take care of them as it was to try to go overseas,” Sinese says. Now, about 75 to 80 percent of his shows benefit military or first-responder charities. His Gary Sinese Foundation allows him to donate or subsidize the band’s services. On his tours, Sinese treasures meeting servicemembers. He says at one concert, an audi- ence member kept yelling and gesturing for his attention. The frustrated man disappeared underneath the platform and emerged on stage. “He comes up and pulls off
his prosthetic leg and slams it on the stage and points at me with his pen — he wants me to sign his leg,” Sinese recalls. “When the song was over … I took a few minutes to ... sign his prosthetic leg. The biggest smile came on his face, he took that leg off the stage, bent down, put it back on.” Sinese says the U.S. is very
fortunate to have such dedicated, courageous Americans serving in uniform. “The way I can give back to them is by visiting them and trying to spread the word about what they do,” he says.
AUGUST 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 67
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