Actor, veterans’ advocate, and dog lover Gary Sinise has inaugurated a brand-new fundraiser in honor of Veterans Day 2019. This time, the focus is on the hardworking, heroic dogs who put their lives on the line beside their human military companions to protect our freedom.
The Gary Sinise Foundation is running a new program called “Veterinarians for Valor” to put service dogs and their carers back in the spotlight for the recognition they deserve and the funds they need to keep on serving.
“From the fields of France, the jungles of Vietnam, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the streets of Iraq, military working dogs have been employed to sniff out explosives and drugs, detect enemy forces, search and rescue missing service members, and provide therapeutic relief.”
The post concluded: “We honor the service and sacrifice by these highly trained canines, and their handlers whose contributions have saved countless lives and led to mission success deployment after deployment.”
Sinise’s dedication was largely inspired by his own family’s history of military service and the actor’s role in the Oscar-winning movie “Forrest Gump.” Sinise played Vietnam War veteran Lieutenant Dan Taylor, a troubled soldier who lost both his legs in service and was perennially plagued by survivor guilt.
“Some [veterans] have just, like Lieutenant Dan, tried to disappear, had very serious post-traumatic stress,” the actor continued, “could not come back, could not function in society in any way, and so they’ve withdrawn.”
Sinise’s foundation and its outreach is helping ensure that many veterans no longer have to suffer in silence and no longer have to rebuild their lives alone. “Veterinarians for Valor” is Sinise’s latest forward-thinking addition to the foundation’s outreach program.
Veterans Day, falling on November 11 each and every year, is the perfect opportunity to honor veterans for their service and sacrifice. From this moment on, Sinise is helping to ensure that the troops’ loyal canine companions are assisted, too.
