Gary Sinise is most recognizable as Lieutenant Dan of Forrest Gump fame. But the 63-year-old actor has also been doing extensive charity work for veterans for the last four decades.
So to celebrate the February 12 release of his new memoir Grateful American, a whole slew of Sinise’s co-stars, friends and admirers got together to say a quick thank-you, in the form of a video titled #GratefulLikeGary.
The video was put together by the Gary Sinise Foundation, Sinise’s nonprofit that supports active-duty servicemen and women, veterans, firstresponders and their families and caregivers, as well as others in need. There are celebrity appearances galore (oh, hi, Robert De Niro, RonHoward, Steve Buscemi and Kristen Chenoweth), and General Colin Powell makes an appearance, along with many of the veterans and families who Sinise has helped.
It’s worth watching to the very end, if only to see Tom Hanks (aka Forrest Gump) show up, signing off with a short and sweet, “Thanks, Lieutenant Dan!”
People reports that Sinise was “‘in complete shock’ over the heartfelt surprise,” capturing his reaction in their own video.