Stars of the popular CSI franchise have been active in many socially relevant causes this year.  Eric Szmanda of the original series went to Burma last month in an effort to raise awareness about the plight of the Burmese people.  Hill Harper of CSI:NY contributed an essay to Not in My Family: AIDS in the African-American Community, with the hopes of initiating a more open discussion about the disease.
Gary Sinise, also from CSI: NY, co-hosted the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington D.C.  However, the 52-year-old actor’s involvement with the United Service Organization, Inc. (USO) began long before the said event in May.

In 2003, Sinise began doing tours with the USO to give support to US soldiers deployed overseas.  After a couple of visits to war-torn countries in the Middle East, he approached the USO and told them about his band, Lt. Dan.

“After (touring for a few times), I said to the USO folks, ‘I play music with some guys. Why don't you let me take a band?’” the actor recounted to TVGuide.  “And they set it up. I called my buddies and said, ‘We'd better start rehearsing, because we're going on tour.’"

Since collaborating with the USO, Gary Sinise has been able to perform for troops stationed in such places as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Based on his own experience, Sinise said that many of the service members he has met do not have many complaints about what they are doing.

“They feel like they're accomplishing something,” Gary Sinise said.  “There are other people who go out and say, ‘Oh, the troops are all pissed off and they hate the war and they hate this and that...’ but that's not my experience.  And I've been to probably more bases around the world and around the country than most politicians.”

This year’s National Memorial Day featured a segment to wounded soldiers.  Currently, there are more than 23,000 wounded in Iraq.  In the interview, the CSI:NY star pointed out that although there are many people working on the soldiers’ behalf, the care given to veterans will never be sufficient.

“The government can never do enough, and it should,” he said.  “If we're going to ask people to go into harm's way for very little money and then we forget about them, that does nothing to strengthen our country.  We all remember what it was like when our Vietnam veterans came home from war — and we can never let that happen again.”

-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TVGuide
(Image courtesy of Liberty Film Festival)