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May 25, 2014
Highly Recommended for Tonight....Actors Gary Sinise And Joe Mantegna Understand The Price Of Freedom, Host 25th Memorial Day Concert In D.C.
Sunday, May 25 on PBS from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. for the 2014 National Memorial Day Concert, featuring actress Dianne Wiest, musical artists Danielle Bradbery, Jackie Evancho, Megan Hilty, Anthony Kearns, Jack Everly, and co-hosted for the eighth year by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise.
The 2014 National Memorial Day Concert will feature the stories of John Peck, a critically wounded veteran; Gold Star Mother Ruth Stonesifer, whose son Kristofor was the first to die in Afghanistan; and all those of the Greatest Generation who participated in the D-Day invasion.
Actors Gary Sinise And Joe Mantegna Understand The Price Of Freedom, Host 25th Memorial Day Concert In D.C.
Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, two of Hollywood’s biggest patriots, are in Washington, D.C., to host the 25th annual Memorial Day concert on the west lawn of the Capitol.
It should be a given that actors, writers, and directors would appreciate the freedoms we enjoy here in America, but too often Hollywood seems to prefer celebrating those who are outspoken against American values, ideals, and even our service members. It’s dumbfounding considering that history teaches us artists are often the first to be silenced by totalitarian governments.
Sinise and Mantegna are two midwesterners who grew up with an understanding of the sacrifices members of our military have made to keep our nation free.
Sinise about his special connection to the troops and he said it really all started with his iconic performance as Lt. Dan in the film Forrest Gump. He has now started a foundation specifically designed to help wounded veterans, especially amputees.
“We have a whole new generation of Lt. Dan’s out there and we’ll highlight one of them at the concert this weekend,” he told me.
Sinese has said that his appreciation for Memorial Day goes back to his childhood in Illinois: “When I was a kid, I loved the Memorial Day parade. Especially saluting the soldiers who had done so much for our country. I was too young to understand the words ‘sacrifice’ and ‘tribute,’ but I knew what a hero was. And that’s what our service members have always been to me.”
Mantegna also grew up in Chicago; having military members in his family instilled a special appreciation for those who have sacrificed for our country:
“I had a lot of military in my family and they all came back from conflicts so there was no immediate attachment to Memorial Day in terms of a day of personal remembrance,” Mantegna said. “And yet, once I did that concert I realized Memorial Day is not just a holiday, it’s our most important holiday because of the sacrifices all these men and women made throughout our history.”
There’s plenty to complain about when it comes to some of the bone-headed, unpatriotic utterances from many of the members of the Hollywood community. But here are two examples of humble men who understand what it means to be truly free, and, sadly, what the cost of that freedom has been.
I know from personal experience there are more men and women like this in Hollywood.
Wild Thing's comment............
Nick and I have seen this even each year they have done it and it is amazing, wonderful, extrememly touching and well worth the time watching.
It will be tonight on PBS from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Posted by Wild Thing at May 25, 2014 12:55 AM
Comments
I watch it every year. It brings a nice feeling of sanity into what is otherwise the daily cesspool of politics in that city.
Posted by: TomR,armed in Texas at May 25, 2014 03:11 PM
