Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service

by Gary Sinise, Marcus Brotherton (With)

Overview

New York Times Bestseller: The moving, entertaining, never-before-told story of how one man found his calling: to see that those who defend this country and its freedoms are never forgotten.

"The book is called Grateful American, and I promise you after you read it you will be grateful for what Gary has accomplished and contributed to our country." — Clint Eastwood

As a kid in suburban Chicago, Gary Sinise was more interested in sports and rock 'n' roll than reading or schoolwork. But when he impulsively auditioned for a school production of West Side Story, he found his purpose—or so it seemed.

Within a few years Gary and a handful of friends created what became one of the most exciting and important new theater companies in America. From its humble beginnings in a suburban Chicago church basement and eventual move into the city, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company launched a series of groundbreaking productions, igniting Gary's career along with those of John Malkovich, Joan Allen, Gary Cole, Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Perry, John Mahoney, and others. Television and film came calling soon after, and Gary starred in Of Mice and Men (which he also directed) and The Stand before taking the role that would change his life in unforeseeable ways: Lieutenant Dan in the Academy Award–winning Forrest Gump.

The military community's embrace of the character of the disabled veteran was matched only by the depth of Gary's realization that America's defenders had not received all the honor, respect, and gratitude their sacrifices deserve. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, this became Gary's mission. While starring in hits like Apollo 13, Ransom, Truman, George Wallace, CSI:NY, and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Gary has worked tirelessly on behalf of those who serve this country…

• entertaining more than a half million troops around the world playing bass guitar with his Lt. Dan Band,
• raising funds on behalf of veterans, and
• founding the Gary Sinise Foundation with a mission to serve and honor America's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.

Grateful American is the moving, entertaining, profoundly gripping story of how one man found his calling: to see that those who defend this country and its freedoms are never forgotten.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400208128
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	02/12/2019
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	56,750
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Gary Sinise is an Oscar-nominated actor and winner of an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild awards, and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, all while advocating for America’s veterans for nearly forty years. For his service work, Gary has been presented with numerous humanitarian awards including the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the George Catlett Marshall Medal from the Association of the US Army, and the Spirit of Hope Award by the Department of Defense. He was named an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the United States Navy, was pinned as an honorary Marine, and received the Sylvanus Thayer Award at West Point, given to a civilian "whose character, service, and achievements reflect the ideals prized by the U.S. Military Academy." He's also the recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded by the President of the United States to citizens for "exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. "

Marcus Brotherton is a New York Times bestselling author and coauthor. His books include Grateful American with Gary Sinise, Tough As They Come with SSG Travis Mills, and We Who Are Alive & Remain, with twenty of the elite paratroopers from World War II known as the Band of Brothers. He is the recipient of the Christopher Award for literature that “affirms the highest values of the human spirit.”

Table of Contents

Prologue: Stunned 1

Chapter 1 Yearning to Breathe Free 11

Chapter 2 Baptism 27

Chapter 3 The Start of Steppenwolf 38

Chapter 4 The Corner of Hollywood and Love 56

Chapter 5 When We Started to Look Beyond Ourselves 70

Chapter 6 Glimpses of Glory 84

Chapter 7 Steinbeck Country 101

Chapter 8 Big Movie Years 116

Chapter 9 Darkness and Light 135

Chapter 10 Turning Point 152

Chapter 11 A Bridge Between Worlds 167

Chapter 12 Honor. Gratitude. Rock and Roll 184

Chapter 13 Perfect Timing 197

Chapter 14 Helping Children 211

Chapter 15 Flurry of Action 228

Chapter 16 The Gary Sinise Foundation 243

Chapter 17 Why I'm Still on a Mission 261

Called to Action 275

Acknowledgments 277

About the Author 279

Editorial Reviews

12/24/2018

Actor and debut author Sinise offers a heartfelt autobiography that doubles as a love letter to the U.S. military. Raised in Chicago’s suburbs, Sinise describes a somewhat aimless adolescence until an astute drama teacher encouraged him to try out for his high school’s production of West Side Story. That advice changed his life; he went on to pursue acting professionally and in 1974 cofounded the eminent Steppenwolf Theater Company. Hearing about his brothers-in-law’s Vietnam War tours of duty, and acting in 1991 in a play, Tracers, about Vietnam vets, first made Sinise feel the American military was not sufficiently appreciated. In 1994, he took the life-changing role of Lieutenant Dan in the hugely successful film Forrest Gump. Finding himself newly and widely identified with veterans by the public, he has since devoted himself to a life of service, through USO tours; benefit concerts by his cover band, the Lt. Dan Band; and the Gary Sinise Foundation, which, among other services, builds “smart homes” for disabled veterans. Sinise continually emphasizes his humility, next to actual military personnel, as someone famous “merely for playing a part in a movie,” yet his self-effacing words belie the evident depth of his commitment to helping them, which marks this winningly earnest and unabashedly patriotic story. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly