From Stage to Service, Actor Gary Sinise a 'Grateful American' 
VOA News
March 05, 2019 7:47 AM (source)

From Stage to Service, Actor Gary Sinise a 'Grateful American'

演而優則服務奉獻：演員蓋瑞．辛尼茲演繹《感恩圖報的美國人》

March 05, 2019 7:47 AM

Kane Farabaugh

CHICAGO —

U.S. Army soldier Bryan Anderson was nearing the end of his second, yearlong tour of duty in Iraq, and approaching the end of his enlistment, when he unexpectedly reached a turning point on Oct. 23, 2005 — a date that is now seared in his memory.

"That's the day I got blown up," he told VOA.

A hidden improvised explosive device, or IED, cut through the military Humvee as Anderson was slowly driving through the dangerous streets of Iraq.

"When the explosion went off, it cut my legs and my hand off instantly," he said.

Anderson credits the instant action by his comrades for saving his life, but his extensive wounds left him with one badly damaged arm and hand.

"Soldiers don't think about coming back halfway," he said. "You either think you are going to make it, or you're not. I certainly did." 

Anderson's evacuation from the battlefield marked the beginning of a long recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. There, while trying to learn how to walk on prosthetic legs, he encountered many visiting celebrities, or "peer" visitors.

"Celebrities and peer visitors didn't mean anything to me. I didn't care. I felt more or less that these people would just come in, take pictures with soldiers, and say, 'I did it! Look at me!' It just felt like it was fake."

But Anderson said one visitor who arrived in the middle of one of his intense therapy sessions was the exception.

"I'm trying to like, say, 'Excuse me, can I get by?' and then I tripped and hit somebody's foot or something. And I fell forward, and I landed right into somebody. And I grabbed his chest, and he stood strong, and he held me up. And I pushed back and tried to stand up. And I'm like, 'Oh holy crap, Gary Sinise!' And he's like, 'Oh holy crap, the real Lieutenant Dan!'”

His performance as the rough Vietnam War soldier "Lt. Dan Taylor" in the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster "Forrest Gump" has, in part, defined Sinise's career on and off camera.

Lt. Dan represented a generation of military veterans scarred by the Vietnam War, many of whom received a cold reception upon returning home to America.

Sinise's portrayal of the wounded amputee and war-weary U.S. Army officer resonated with many veterans — something reinforced to Sinise during his visit to the 1994 Disabled American Veterans, or DAV National Convention in Chicago.

"The ballroom was filled with over 2,000 wounded veterans," he explained to VOA during a recent interview in Chicago. "They were cheering for Lt. Dan, and the guy who played Lt. Dan, and I was overwhelmed with emotion. From that point on, I stayed actively involved with the DAV."

While best known for his award-winning work as an actor, first on stage, then television, and eventually film, it is his service off-camera that is now earning Sinise the respect of many in uniform, prompted by what he describes as his own turning point — the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Despite not having served himself, he wanted to ensure the hard lessons learned during the Vietnam War weren't repeated as a new generation of service members headed off for a new war.

"That they would go off to war responding to Osama bin Laden, and al-Qaida, and the attacks on our country, and they would return and feel appreciated."

Giving back

Today, Sinise shows appreciation through initiatives that include building homes for those injured in war through the Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment, or RISE program of the Gary Sinise Foundation.

"I've been involved in building over 70 some houses for badly wounded service members," he said. "I am a beneficiary of what our defenders do for us on a daily basis, so I want to support them in any way I can. Which is why I started the Gary Sinise Foundation."

Today, the foundation that bears his name raises tens of millions of dollars annually to fund programs such as RISE, and the Snowball Express, which provides vacations at the Disney World Resort for Gold Star Families — those who have lost a loved one in combat.

To help fund the many philanthropic endeavors of his foundation giving back to those who served, including first responders and emergency personnel, Sinise performs around the world as a guitarist in the "Lt. Dan Band."

His life on and off the many stages of his career, which began at the Steppenwolf Theatre he founded in Chicago in the 1970s, is all in his new book "Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service," now a New York Times best-seller.

Anderson, who appeared with Sinise on the TV show "CSI: New York" and now serves as an ambassador for the Gary Sinise Foundation, said it's veterans like him who are the grateful Americans for Sinise's attention and support.

"I got the sense that he felt a little guilty that he never served, and that he took the path that he did," said Anderson, who is in the beginning stages of building his own accessible home through the RISE program. "But I try to tell him, 'Look, we all serve in our own ways, and we try to do the best that we can. And you are more of a patriot than some of the guys that I served with.'"

It is a sentiment now documented in a heartfelt, viral online video featuring many notable Americans such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Sinise's "Forrest Gump" co-star, Tom Hanks, praising him for his service to others.

"I was just overwhelmed with emotion that people would take the time to do that," Sinise explained to VOA. "I'm on a mission here, and I'm just trying to do what I can to support our military and veterans community."

Sinise said the recognition is welcome and helps the overall work of his foundation.

"We still have people who are serving in harm's way. They are still in the war zones. They are still getting hurt. We're still losing them. It's a dangerous world out there. They are deploying to places we still don't even know about, and they end up getting hurt, or their families end up losing them, and I don't want to forget them."

美國軍人布萊恩．安德森（Bryan Anderson）在伊拉克（Iraq）為期一年的(yearlong)第二次任務即將結束，就在他服役(enlistment)進入尾聲之際，在 2005 年 10 月 23 日毫無預警地遭遇人生轉捩點(turning point)，這天也深深地烙印(sear)在他腦海中。

「就在那天，我被炸傷了。」他向美國之音（Voice of America，VOA）表示。

正當安德森緩緩地開著軍用悍馬車(Humvee)經過伊拉克危險的街道，一個隱藏的簡易爆炸裝置（improvised explosive device，IED）瞬間將車子炸開。

「爆炸(explosion)裝置炸開(go off)後，馬上就把我的腿和手切斷了。」他敘述道。

安德森把能夠撿回一命歸功於(credit . . .)同袍(comrade)的即時處置，然而大面積的(extensive)傷口讓他僅保住一隻嚴重受損的胳臂和一隻手。

「軍人不會考慮半途撤退。」他說。「我們只想著不成功，便成仁。我當時確實也這麼想。」

安德森從戰場上撤退(evacuation)下來，代表著他待在美國華府（Washington, D.C）華特里德陸軍醫療中心（Walter Reed Army Medical Center）進行漫長復健(recovery)的開始。而在醫療中心學習如何用義肢(prosthetic)走路的同時，他偶然遇見了很多前來拜訪的名人或是「同行」訪客。

「名人和同行訪客對我來說不代表什麼。我不在乎這些人。在我看來，他們幾乎(more or less)都是來一下，和士兵拍個照，然後說：『嘿，你看看，我去拜訪他們了！』這感覺好假(fake)。」安德森解釋道。

不過，安德森說，他接受了幾次程度頗為強烈的(intense)治療(therapy)，在其中的一次療程當中(in the middle of . . .)，有位前來拜訪他的名人是個例外。

「我邊走邊說：『不好意思，可以借過一下嗎？』然後就被絆倒(trip)了，還撞到別人的腳或某個東西。接著我又向前倒，就這樣不偏不倚地跌向某人。然後我抓住他的胸膛，他穩穩地站著並且扶我起來。我向後推了一把，試著站起來，接著就吃驚地叫出來：『天啊，是蓋瑞．辛尼茲（Gary Sinise）！』他也驚訝地說：『天啊，是真的丹中尉(lieutenant)！』」安德森侃侃而談。

辛尼茲在 1994 年好萊塢（Hollywood）賣座鉅片(blockbuster)《阿甘正傳》（Forrest Gump）中飾演一位粗曠的越戰軍人「丹．泰勒中尉（Lt. Dan Taylor）」。就某種程度上而言，這個角色早已為辛尼茲幕前與幕後的發展定調。

丹中尉代表著歷經越戰（Vietnam War）、留下傷痕(scar)的退伍軍人(veteran)一代，其中不少人回到美國時受到冷漠的對待。

辛尼茲飾演受傷(wounded)截肢(amputee)和因打仗而精疲力竭的(war-weary)美國軍人，其演出(portrayal)引起許多老兵的共鳴(resonate)。而他也於 1994 年參訪在芝加哥（Chicago）舉辦的「美國失能退伍軍人（Disabled American Veterans，DAV）全國大會(convention)」。這次參訪更加深(reinforce)了他與老兵之間的共鳴。

「宴會廳(ballroom)擠滿了超過 2000 位受過傷的老兵。」近日他在芝加哥的訪談中向美國之音解釋。「他們為丹中尉歡呼，也為飾演他的人歡呼。他們的熱情讓我感動得不知所措(overwhelm)。從那時開始，我就積極地參與美國失能退伍軍人的各項活動。」他回憶道。

雖然辛尼茲以獲獎殊榮的(award-winning)戲劇表演聞名，包含最初在舞臺上的演出，到後來的電視作品，乃至最終的電影作品，現今讓他獲得許多軍人尊敬的卻是他在螢光幕之外所從事的服務。辛尼茲形容，2001 年的 911 恐怖攻擊事件(terrorist attack)是他人生的轉捩點，激發(prompt)他投入服務志業。

儘管辛尼茲本身並未服過兵役，但仍希望能夠確保新一代軍人在出(head off)征作戰時，不會再經歷越戰中的慘痛教訓。

「我希望他們為奧薩瑪．賓．拉登（Osama bin Laden）、蓋達組織（al-Qaida）以及任何對國家的攻擊行動奮力征戰，在返抵國門時，也能夠感受到國人對他們保衛國家的感激之情。」他表示。

回饋社會

如今，辛尼茲推動各種新措施(initiative)，藉此表達對軍人的感謝。這些新措施包括透過蓋瑞辛尼茲基金會（Gary Sinise Foundation）的「重建自主支持培力（Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment，RISE）」計畫，為戰爭中受傷的士兵打造家園。

「我已經參與超過 70 間房子的建造，這些房子都要提供給嚴重受傷的服役成員居住。」他說。「軍人每天捍衛我們的國家，我也是其中的受惠者(beneficiary)，所以我希望盡可能地去支持他們。這也是我設立蓋瑞辛尼茲基金會的原因。」他解釋道。

以他為名的基金會現在每年都募款上千萬元資助(fund)各種計畫，例如「重建自主支持培力」與「雪球快遞（Snowball Express）」計畫。其中，雪球快遞計畫主要招待金星家庭（Gold Star Family）到迪士尼世界度假區（Disney World Resort）遊玩，這些家庭從軍的親人在戰鬥(combat)中喪生。
〔編按：「金星（Gold Star）」是美軍官兵陣亡的標誌。〕

辛尼茲也在「丹中尉樂團（Lt. Dan Band）」擔任吉他手，於全球各地巡演，藉此資助基金會中許多慈善義舉(philanthropic endeavor)以回饋軍中服務的人員，包括第一線急救員(first responder)和緊急應變人員(personnel)。

他的新書《感恩圖報的美國人：從自我發展到服務群眾》（Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service）目前是紐約時報（New York Times）的暢銷書(best-seller)。書中描繪他於 1970 年代在芝加哥成立「荒野之狼劇團（Steppenwolf Theatre）」，自此開始了生涯中幕前與幕後許多不同的發展。

曾和辛尼茲一同演出電視影集《犯罪現場調查：紐約》（Crime Scene Investigation: New York，CSI: NY）的安德森，目前擔任蓋瑞辛尼茲基金會代表(ambassador)。他指出，許多際遇和他相似的退伍軍人都對辛尼茲的關照與支持滿懷感激。

「我感覺他對於從來沒有服過兵役，選擇了自己想走的路有些罪惡感。」安德森說道。他目前正透過「重建自主支持培力」計畫，開始打造自己能夠方便(accessible)進出的房子。「不過我試著告訴他：『聽著，我們都用自己的方式服務社會，也都試著竭盡所能做到最好。況且和一些我曾經效力的人相比，你才是真正的愛國者(patriot)。』」

目前一段在網路上爆紅(viral)，令人感受真摯的(heartfelt)影片記錄了辛尼茲這般感恩的情操(sentiment)。影片以美國許多著名(notable)人士為特色(feature . . .)，包括前美國國務卿（Secretary of State）柯林．鮑爾（Colin Powell）以及曾與辛尼茲合演《阿甘正傳》的湯姆．漢克斯（Tom Hanks）都讚揚他為人服務的懿行。

「對於大家的支持，我非常地感動。」辛尼茲向美國之音說明。「我在這兒執行任務(on a mission)，也只是試著盡我所能支持軍人和退伍軍人團體而已。」

辛尼茲表示，對於外界的肯定(recognition)他欣然接受，而且這也有助於基金會整體事務的推動。

「現在還有很多士兵在戰區(war zone)冒著生命危險，因戰火受傷。我們不斷地失去這些保衛國家的戰士。戰區那非常危險，有些士兵甚至部署(deploy)在我們一無所知的地方。他們最後(end up . . .)受了傷，或是家人失去了他們。我不想忘記這些戰士。」辛尼茲娓娓道來。