Actor Gary Sinise was featured in a short profile film from AARP about his support for American veterans, with the 8-minute video highlighting the Forest Gump star gifting a smart home to a Marine who was seriously wounded in Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jason Ross was gravely wounded in 2011 when he stepped on a 10-pound improvised explosive device (IED) that tore off not just both legs, but parts of his pelvis, as well. After an astonishing 240 surgeries to stabilize him, Ross now has to get around in a specially built wheelchair that keeps him upright. That makes getting around a standard house extremely difficult for the Marine.
According to a video by AARP, Ross met Sinise shortly after he returned to the U.S. and after their meeting, Sinise began working to design and build a home for Ross that meets his particular needs.
Watch below:
Ross suffered his devastating injury three months into his second tour in Afghanistan as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician. He said he remembers crossing a field, heard a bang, and the next thing he knew he was flying through the air.
“When I actually met Jason and saw the severity of his injury,” Sinise said, “I was taken aback. When I met him down at Naval Medical Center in San Diego on one of my trips to visit our wounded, I looked at Jason and I recall I said, ‘Well, you are a miracle.'”
Sinise built the home through his Gary Sinise Foundation which works to serve active duty servicemen, veterans, and first responders.
The Foundation marked its ten-year anniversary.
Watch below:
The foundation recently launched mental health services network.
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