The second time addressing the members of the press club was in support of the documentary film brothers at war. And a third time as john said four years ago, when we first launched the foundation. So i guess i havent burned any bridges at the press club yet. You keep asking me back. I would like to speak today about how far the foundation has come in those four years with the work the foundation is doing and what the future looks like as we continue to grow and i would like to emphasize how important it is to have nonprofits in the military support space as the military men and women continue to confront the dark forces of this world on many fun with long and many fronts with long and very tough deployment. At first i would like to acknowledge a few people here today, one of our board members. Thank you for coming. I appreciate you being here. [applause] i have a very distinguished guest that john introduced, a friend of mine that is here today, general livingston was awarded the United States highest military decoration the medal of honor for a heroic action in 1968 during the vietnam war and on that fateful day, captain livingston and about 800 fellow marines ran up against a north Vietnamese Company of 10,000 strong enemy combatants. 10,000 against 800 marines. What the captain says was a fair fight. [laughter] during the fights after he was wounded three times through heavy fire and despite committee wounds coordinated attacks to destroy over 100 mutually supported enemy bunkers and repelled a savage attack and refused to be evacuated from the field until he was assured of the safety of his men and he would serve two combat tours in vietnam. He was presented in medal of honor in 1970 by president richard nixon. Rising the ranks he retired as a major general. The philosophy is to lead from the front. He said if im willing to do it then i can ask you to do it. He never had a marine under his command, say to him i dont want to do this, following his example they all did their job and whenever he asked whatever he asked of them and performed superbly. That is true and inspiring leadership, so thank you for being here. [laughter] [applause] gary we are truly grateful for everything youve given in service to the nation and i know we have several veterans today so i want to personally say thank you to all of our veterans for being here and stepping forward to serve our country. Its been said the United States of america will always be the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave. The veterans have assured we are a free country. The community, the city, the country can only flora shifting of the peace to enjoy their life and liberty and have the opportunity to pursue their happiness. They work with commerce and trade and create an environment where each childs dream has to hope to be realized. We have seen a nation born of these ideas and from generation to generation its shown itself to be the greatest, strongest and most prosperous nation on earth. The envy of the world. It wears the uniform and the United States of america is kept safe by the men and women of the United States military willing to serve and sacrifice so much of our way of life is secure and with these sacrifices being made each and every day, there comes much need. That is why today more than ever its important to have successful nonprofits in the military support space. As the government alone cannot possibly fill all of its needs. There have been so many experiences that have led to realize we must be there for our men and women in uniform. After the tragic of fence events of sub some relevant wanting to do something supporting those in harms way, i begin to volunteer for the uso. Going on handshake to ours to let our military know they were shaded. Appreciate it. During the thanksgiving holiday in 2009 i was visiting barred gram air force base in afghanistan, and the director of operations for United StatesCentral Command providing oversight to all military operations throughout the centcom area of responsibility including iraq and afghanistan. He came to me and informed me that there would be an angel flight early the following morning for a Fallen Special forces soldier who had been killed in action. The general invited me to the ramp ceremony where the us military would load the casket of on American Hero on a plane to repatriate his remains back to america. What my eyes saw and heartfelt that day has always stayed with me. I watched hundreds of american servicemen and women from all branches, most including myself never knew the soldier personally but gathered in formation in his honor to pay their respects and offer a farewell salute to a brave fellow american soldier. The mood was somber. The casket draped with an American Flag was carried by eight members of his unit moving slowly and solemnly onto the plane. Indeed, a sight to behold. Members of his unit who the day before finding by his side placed his casket on the bed of a a c17, kneel down around it and offered final prayers and farewells to the brother. And the rest of the formation followed suit rank by rank traveling up the ramp of the c 17 to pay their respects. It was my sobering honor to be by the generals side as we enter the plane and not down beside the casket. I was flooded with emotion for this young man and his family, the painful and sobering reminder of the cost of freedom. So in looking back on my own journey working with veterans groups in the chicago area in the 80s, supporting our wanted to the disabled American Veterans organization in the 90s and post september 11 and often times bring home with them i began supporting many military charities and participating in many support concerts. In 2011 i brought my endeavors together to serve our veterans under one umbrella. In four years, we have been able to start numerous programs to help make an important difference in the lives of service members. Building devices for our most severely wounded veterans through our restoring independence, supporting empowerment to putting on resiliency concerts at military hospitals to boost morale to raising the spirits of the children our Fallen Heroes providing emergency funding for needy military families, supporting 1st responders and communities all around the country. Each day helping veterans, military families, and 1st responders find the strength of support they need to move forward in their lives and are impacting the communities that they live in. As john said when i last spoke here, i have been part of Fundraising Efforts to build three smart homes. Some of the most catastrophically Wounded Service members, three of our quadruple amputees who had returned from iraq and afghanistan. I am proud to say that now of the five quadruple amputees from these wars, four are living in new homes, and a home is in progress for the 5th. By the end of 2015 the Gary Sinise Foundation will have participated in the development or construction of up to 35 homes for those suffering very serious lifechanging injuries. These homes give our wanted wounded heroes, their families caregivers their freedom and independence back. I i am proud to say prior to the creation of the foundation and four years since the lieut. Dan band has performed 318 concerts worldwide in support of our nations defenders and their families. 140 concerts for the uso and 178 fundraising and benefit concerts. We just performed at the Hotel Del Coronado sunday night for a big veterans support concerts. The band is the band is part of our nonprofit and is now a program of the foundation. Through our invincible spirit festivals which we put on at our nations military medical centers complete with a live Lieutenant Dan band concert and a delicious cookout donated by celebrity chef Robert Irvine and the folks at the Great Food Company cisco we have lifted over 50,000 spirits of heroes and their families, caregivers , hospital staff giving them a respite from the rigors of medical treatment and reminding them of the hope and positivity along the road to recovery. Through our serving Heroes Program we have shown gratitude to our nations defenders by serving him a hearty, classic american meal. Today we have served over 27,700 meals to five major travel hubs across the nation where our deploying troops go through. We are looking to expand our efforts to include other venues at other airports throughout the country. Our Gary Sinise Foundation relief and Resiliency Program as has helped 1,294 veterans and their families through their times of urgent need. 162 children, family members of the fallen, 156 veterans, 944 wounded. With 1st responders outreach the Gary Sinise Foundation has provided support to train 45 firefighters in black forest colorado after the devastating fires there, supporting the families of the hotshots in prescott, arizona after 19 firefighters were lost in a deadly firestorm, donated to lieut. Dan vans to the fdny Fire Family Transport Foundation to transport ill and injured members of the fdny and their families to medical facilities and we have awarded six g to police, fire, and ems services. Other programs include. Our arts and entertainment outreach taking veterans to theater around the country for a free meal and a performance, and as part of our Educational Outreach we have a new world war ii program, a most recent partnership with the National WorldWar Ii Museum in new orleans. Gary Sinise Foundation has helped finance a historian who has to date recorded 35 world war ii veteran stories, oral histories preserved on video in a Museum Archive preserving americas history and their legacy. We will also include a trip next week for 50 world war ii veterans from california to see this magnificent museum built in their honor. We have come a long way in four short years and are impacting the lives of veterans and activeduty across the nation,. It is truly the most Rewarding Mission ive had in my life. One of the hardest things to come to terms with when you endeavor to a life of service is the enormity of the need that exists today. It has to be upon us and our communities to close the gap and meet that need. With all the bureaucracy inefficiencies and challenges currently being reported it is important that there are successful nonprofits in the military support space and that we engage encourage and inspire as many communities within this country is possible to address the needs. I applaud all the military nonprofits here today doing good work. During the conflicts in afghanistan and iraq we have seen remarkable advances in field medicine and care. While this may have reduced the number of casualties, many more have returned home injured or seriously wounded. As we have now been at war for the past 14 years. Roughly 50,000 military personnel currently live among us bearing the severe ones of war physically and mentally. Their struggles can affect the entire household and ongoing treatment can quickly become ruinously expensive. We have become aware of the startling shortfalls in the care these men and women often face. With the media they have provided troubling glimpses at the Health Related complications that veterans experience in seeking care, the Bigger Picture is alarming. Survey data suggest survey data 71 percent of americans do not understand what combat veterans endure and 84 percent of veterans have said the public has little awareness of the challenges they face in life after combat. This suggests an urgent need to supplement existing support and raise public consciousness on a grassroots level. Emotional trauma is at epidemic proportions. From 2,002 to 2012, 103,970 cases of postTraumatic Stress were reported. According to a report from the department of Veterans Affairs an average of 42 American Veterans continue to take their lives everyday physical injuries often compound emotional damage. In the same 2002 to 2012 time span, amputations were performed. This places tremendous stress on veterans families and loved ones often must take on the role caregivers and postTraumatic Stress. Maintain access to his or its systems is a daunting task. Reentering society and finding employment is difficult to read more than half of all veterans report feeling disconnected. This sense of disconnect is a solvable problem. Willingness to help and raising awareness where help is needed is an and horton first that. Local citizens in every Community Need to connect with veterans and their families to provide support however possible. As citizens to benefit from what they do for us. It is our duty simply if every neighborhood in every community in every town and city in every state sought out the local veterans and offered their hand we would greatly reduce the problem and most likely have the problem solved. It is a dangerous and unpredictable world. We need to keep our military strong and ready to face the evils of this world that would seek to destroy our way of life. They are our freedom providers. As we know all know we all too often take our freedom for granted. I recently returned from either my third trip to korea. My 3rd visit to the dmz. A strange, very strange and sad place. This time while there, something happened that did not happen in my previous trips. As we came out of the building and approached the borderline two north korean guards came right up to the border search to take pictures of our group. I was 2 feet away. And could look directly into the eyes of these guards. Haunting and sad. They know nothing but worship of the Supreme Leader and our are slaves to their master. Perhaps there is no place on earth where one can feel a palpable difference between freedom and slavery more than standing on the border. North koreans know nothing nothing of freedom. For three generations, they have been oppressed by dictatorship and indoctrinated by regime that has an slave them and seal them off from the rest of the world. They have a military that is there to suppress the intake of them and take their freedoms away but the United States by , their side, like all of us here, the South Koreans have a military that a military that is have a military news purpose is to protect freedoms and provide life, liberty, and the ability for every man, woman and child to pursue there ir happiness. Education is the key to making sure our generation and future generations no the high cost of freedom and what our military men and women sacrifice and endured in providing in providing it as it is precious and we must never take it for granted. Not everyone in this world gets to live like we do. Is there any doubt there are evil forces in this world taht given the opportunity would do anything within their power to destroy what we have grown so accustomed to . Freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Like our brave heroes of world war ii, when there were only two possible outcomes in the world at that time, tyranny or freedom , our defenders stand as guardians of all that we hold dear against another evil that beheads and crucifies christians punishes anyone who does not submit to their twisted view of the world. On october 22, 1962, addressing the Nuclear Threat posed by the soviet union and the us response to missiles in cuba president john f. Kennedy said the path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all caps on, paths are, but it is the one most consistent with our character and courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. The cost of freedom is always high, and americans have always paid it. One path that we shall never choose is the path of surrender or submission. Today we face many threats to these insecurity. We are thankful to have american when two for men and women who are there to do the dangerous work necessary to ensure we remain free and secure. Still, with a disconnect between the average american and its military, i believe education, educating our citizens and our youth as to what our military men and women in during combat with long deployments away from family and friends is in order. So that we better understand why it is critically important to support them and take care of. This is why i want to talk to you today about the importance of the metal of honor museum. The effort to build a National Museum in Mount Pleasant south carolina. Now, in retirement general livingston is very busy man. Among other things he is a member of the board of directors of the medal of honor museum foundation. In addition, he comprise the museums Steering Committee which will review all museum exhibits and programs to ensure they are consistent with the mission of the congressional medal of Honor Society, the society is the brotherhood of the 79 living medal of honor recipients. Education can come in many forms. One way is through memorials and museums where the stories of those who served have a permanent place to have their voices heard. Since the 1st medal of honor was awarded a march 25 1863, 25 million men and women have served during our nations conflicts. Fewer than 3,500 of them, less than 0. 2 percent have received the medal of honor. Those who wear the medal represent americas bravest and best of all who have served and sacrificed in defense of our nation. The stories offer lessons were for us all. How to live o