Gary Sinise, the famous Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump is a gift to veterans, first responders, and military personnel everywhere. Since playing the fan-favorite character in the popular Vietnam war-time film, Gary Sinise has been there for the people that serve the United States. From starting the Gary Sinise Foundation that supports and honors those that serve and their families in various ways, to fronting the Lt. Dan Band that performs at USO shows and just taking care of others in general, Gary Sinise knows how to give back.
Most recently the actor auctioned off his Jeep for a whopping $200,000. But keep in mind, this isn’t any old Jeep. Sinise donated a 1981 Jeep CJ7 personally customized by Richard Rawling’s Gas Monkey Garage with a patriotic stars and stripes theme to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. You may have heard of Gas Monkey Garage from the popular TV show Fast N’ Loud, which dedicates their 45-minute show to finding a forgotten classic American car and flipping them into something not just drivable, but something to show off.
Sinise showed up at the auction with his Jeep, fully prepared to donate all the proceeds to to military and first responders, but he was not prepared for what came next. As his Jeep rolled across the auction block, it was sold for $200,000… to its first buyer. That’s right. The buyer sent it across the auction block selling it for a second time, bringing in $100,000 from its next buyer. As if 300k wasn’t enough for one vehicle, Sunbelt Rentals donated $1 million on top of that to the cause. “My first auction, it’s going to be hard to top that.” said Sinise of the excitement of raising 1.3 million dollars total for vets.
“There were a lot of veterans out there in the audience so I got to acknowledge them and say thank you,” said Sinise at the event. He also went on to add a private dinner with him in Los Angeles and a tour of his foundation to the new owner of his prized Jeep. Another example of his appreciation to those that serve: “When our veterans came back home from the Vietnam war, they were not treated well and had to disappear into the shadows, […] When we started deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan I wanted to do my part to make sure the men and women doing their part were appreciated.” It’s clear how much Sinise care about our country and the men and women who serve it, and we shouldn’t just be thanking and idolizing Gary for his charity, but remember the to thank and appreciate all the military, first responders, and veterans who have stood up for America.
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