Lt. Dan Band to perform at Fort Benning Saturday

By Bridgett SiterApril 1, 2014

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga -- Lt. Col. Boyd McCanna "Mac" Harris died too young, but his life continues to impact Soldiers and their Families every day. Cancer claimed the West Point graduate at the age of 39. Harris attended Ranger School at Fort Benning before his first tour in Vietnam and returned for Airborne School before his second tour. He spent several years at Fort Benning, including as stint as an instructor at the Infantry School, before his death in 1983. West Point awards the Lt. Col. Boyd M. Harris award each spring to the graduating cadet who excels in leadership skills and training.

But it could be argued that it was his impact on his brother-in-law that had the farthest-reaching effect on generations of Soldiers and military Families. His brother-in-law is Gary Sinise, the actor best known for his role as Lt. Dan in the 1994 blockbuster Forrest Gump.

Sinise and The Lt. Dan Band will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. April 5 on Fort Benning's Wetherby Field. It will be his first visit to the post. He spoke earlier this week by phone about his brother-in-law and the USO tours that take him regularly to installations stateside and occasionally abroad.

When Gary Sinise married Moira Harris in 1981, he watched her brother fight the plight of the Vietnam veteran even as he fought for his own life. Mac Harris was passionate about veterans, Sinise said, particularly Vietnam veterans.

"I had never known a Vietnam veteran personally until I met Mac. He was instrumental in shaping my respect for (Soldiers,)" Sinise said. "He talked about it, and I asked a lot of questions, and through him, I got passionately involved."

His "passionate involvement" includes a number of philanthropic organizations mostly related to the care of veterans, wounded warriors and the families of fallen Soldiers. Notable among them is the Gary Sinise offers relief and respite care for service members and families, and hosts concerts and festivals for military communities. The list goes on and on.

Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band has performed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and all across Asia and Europe. When Sinise accepted a role on CSI New York in 2004 - and named his character "Mac" - most of his overseas travel was curtailed.

These days, he partners with the USO to appear at military installations stateside.

Sometimes he performs; sometimes he simply visits the troops. Since 2003, he has toured more than 100 installations.

In 2003, his travels took him to Landstuhl, Germany, where he visited wounded Soldiers for the first time. One would expect that to be a tough experience.

"It is, at first, but you stop thinking about yourself real quick once you walk in," said Sinise, who has since made repeat visits to Landstuhl and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "It's not about you or what you're feeling; it's all about them. When you see that what you're doing makes them feel good, you stop thinking about your own feelings."

Sinise said Gold Star kids, the children of fallen Soldiers, have a special place in his heart. When pressed to name the organization he's most passionate about, he said there are too many to "pick a favorite," but Snowball Express ranks near the top.

Snowball Express is an organizations dedicated to restoring joy, if only for a short time, to children who have lost a father or mother in uniform.

They host four-day events annually to bring together thousands of Gold Star kids for various fun activities, including trips to amusement parks and sporting events.

The Gary Sinise Foundation recently donated $750,000 to the cause, one Sinise has been personally involved with for years.

"They bring these kids together just to give them some happiness, to show them a great time," he said. "Unfortunately, there are new kids every year. That's the hard part. But it's a very healing thing, because some of the kids who have been around a few years can put their arms around them."

Sinise hopes to visit with local Gold Star families during his visit to Fort Benning. The rest of us can join him at 7p.m. on Wetherby Field.

The concert is free and exclusive to military ID card holders. Gates open at 6 p.m.