Lt. Dan Band involves Fort Carson crowd

By Staff Sgt. Wayne Barnett (Fort Carson)April 14, 2011

Lt. Dan Band involves Fort Carson crowd
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Lt. Dan Band involves Fort Carson crowd
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FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Actor and rocker Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band rolled into the Mountain Post Special Events Center April 8 to present a free concert to the community. The band played cover tunes of various artists from Journey to Jimi Hendrix.

The line outside the SEC stretched for two blocks and once the doors opened there was a standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,250 people.

Sinise and his band perform 30-40 shows a year with concerts both stateside and overseas to include deployed locations. The concerts are put on to boost the morale of troops, veterans and Family members.

Sinise said people often ask why he spends so much of his time performing for the troops.

"Both my wife and I have veterans in our families. I have great respect for our veterans, so after 9/11 I had to do something to help our military Families out," he said.

Sinise and the band closed the show with a rousing rendition of "Born in the USA" that brought the crowd to its feet.

Prior to his concert appearance, Sinise and Pueblo native and 1969 Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix met with parents, spouses and children of fallen Soldiers at the Survivor Outreach Services building.

"When I meet someone who has lost a family member it is always moving to me," Sinise said. "I know that these people don't have to serve because it is a volunteer service, and I know where my freedom comes from.

It comes from those that have sacrificed before us. We need to do everything we can to support those Families."