The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of War, and later with the Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. Although it is congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency.
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was nominated for an Academy Award. Sinise has also received numerous awards and honors for his extensive humanitarian work and involvement with charitable organizations. He is a supporter of various veterans' organizations and founded the Lt. Dan Band, which plays at military bases around the world.
Kenneth O. Preston is a retired United States Army soldier who served as the Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in as the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army on January 15, 2004. Preston served 7 years and 2 months as Sergeant Major of the Army making him the longest serving Sergeant Major of the Army to date.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, and Gary Sinise in the Unitarian church on Half Day Road in Deerfield, Illinois and is now located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood on Halsted Street. The theatre's name comes from Hermann Hesse's novel Steppenwolf, which original member Rick Argosh was reading during the company's inaugural production of Paul Zindel's play, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, in 1974. After occupying several theatres in Chicago, in 1991, it moved into its own purpose-built complex with three performing spaces, the largest seating 550.
Move America Forward is a nonprofit military charity based in Sacramento, California. Howard Kaloogian, Melanie Morgan and Sal Russo established the organization in 2004. The organization supports front-line United States Armed Forces troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Moira Jane Sinise is a retired American actress.
The Sylvanus Thayer Award is an honor given annually by the United States Military Academy at West Point to an individual whose character and accomplishments exemplifies the motto of West Point. The award is named after the 'Father of the Military Academy,' Colonel Sylvanus Thayer. The awardee is selected by, and the award is endowed by, a committee formed from the West Point Association of Graduates. It has been awarded annually since 1958 and is the closest recognition West Point has to granting an honorary degree.
The Lt. Dan Band is an American cover band originally formed in Chicago in 2004 by Gary Sinise and Kimo Williams to perform at USO shows, entertain troops, and raise money for disabled veterans. The band is named after the character Lieutenant Dan Taylor, whom Sinise portrayed in the film Forrest Gump. Sinise has said in interviews that many people know him by sight as "Lieutenant Dan" rather than by his real name, hence the band's name. The concept came about when Sinise asked for permission to bring musicians on his USO tours. The group was initially known as "Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band".
Thomas Gunning Kelley is a retired captain in the United States Navy who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. From 2003 to 2011 he served as Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services. He served as the president of the Medal of Honor Society from 2015 to 2017.
James "Kimo" Williams is an American composer, musician and professor who has performed with a number of ensembles including his ensemble Kimotion and the Lt. Dan Band, that he co-founded with film/TV actor Gary Sinise. While he is perhaps best known for his work with the Lt. Dan Band, Williams has worked on a number of other projects including: award-winning photography, releasing four CDs, writing a stageplay and working on an opera based on the Courts Martial of Henry O Flipper, the first black graduate from West Point. Cognizant of the opportunities he had, as well as those he did not due to a childhood in which he moved often, Williams speaks to students about his history, their future and their need to combat mediocrity.
The American Veterans Center is a non-profit educational organization and one of two programs of the American Studies Center. The mission of the American Veterans Center is "to preserve and promote the legacy of America’s servicemen and women of every generation".
UFC: Fight for the Troops was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 10, 2008, at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an American charity and veterans service organization that operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3). WWP offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or co-incident to their military service on or after September 11, 2001. Military family members and caregivers are also eligible for WWP programs.
The GI Film Festival (GIFF), a 501c3 non-profit organization founded by Army veteran Laura Law-Millett and her husband Brandon Millett, is "dedicated to preserving the stories of American veterans past and present through film, television and live special events."
Zoltan Bathory is a Hungarian-American musician and martial artist. He is the founder and rhythm guitarist of Las Vegas-based heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. In 2010, he was named Golden God's "Best Shredder" by Metal Hammer magazine.
Music For a Cause is a record label, founded in 2003, and operating in Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, and Micanopy, FL. It is a subsidiary of Prime Ventures, Inc. Using the power of song, they help to raise awareness and funds for worthy charities. By combining philanthropy with entertainment, they provide a benefit to both those in need and those who contribute. Music for a Cause is an example of the new and successful trend called social entrepreneurship, in which for-profit companies partner with non-profits to harness the power of the marketplace to help accomplish charitable goals.
Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit organization in the United States that provides assistance to combat wounded service members, their families, and families of those killed in action. The organization focuses on those involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families. Hope For The Warriors recently received a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator and was highlighted by George W. Bush in the Warrior Open.
Semper Fi Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans in all branches of the United States Armed Forces. The organization describes its mission as "providing urgently needed resources and support for post-9/11 combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families." As of November 2019, the Semper Fi Fund has issued 209,000 grants totaling $210 million in assistance to 24,000 service members and their families.
Bryan Anderson is an American veteran of the Iraq War, triple amputee, and spokesperson. He is the author of his memoir, No Turning Back. Anderson has acted in a handful of television shows and movies, and also works as a stuntman.
