Patricia Heaton Gets Why Gary Sinise’s Dedication To Our Military Is So Important

“Everybody Loves Raymond” star Patricia Heaton made a it a point to thank former Forrest Gump star Gary Sinise for his continued efforts to honor the United States military. These are two Hollywood celebrities who time and again are not afraid to publicly express their love for country.

Patricia Heaton Thanks Gary Sinise On Twitter

“Thank you Gary Sinise and God Bless our military,” Heaton wrote alongside a video of Sinise honoring the 13 United States service members who were killed in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Afghanistan. 

This is far from the first time that Heaton has praised Sinise in this way.

Last month, Patricia Heaton posted an emotional video of the “incredible” work that Gary Sinise is doing with Veterans. 

“Congrats to my pal @garysiniseofficial,” she captioned the video. “For all the incredible work he has done on behalf of our armed services and for all those who have sacrificed on behalf of our country. #decadeofservice.”

Related: Patricia Heaton Calls on TIME to Honor Gary Sinise as Person of the Year

Gary Sinise Had Spent Decades Helping Military Veterans 

Gary Sinise has spent years going above and beyond to help veterans through his foundation, The Gary Sinise Foundation. 

“At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need,” the foundation’s mission states. “We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.”

Related: Gary Sinise Gives Wounded Veteran A Mortgage-Free, Adapted Smart Home

Sinise has always felt that we need to do more to help Veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military.

“Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted,” he once said. “We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.”

Why Gary Sinise Started Helping Military Veterans 

In June, Sinise opened up about what inspired him to start helping veterans.

“Veterans in my own family– that’s where it starts,” he said, according to Yahoo News. “I got involved with supporting Vietnam veterans back in the ’80s, prior to playing a Vietnam veteran in Forrest Gump when I got involved with supporting our wounded. And then September 11 came along.

“And I write about this in my book. It’s called ‘Grateful American, A Journey from Self to Service.’ And there’s a chapter called ‘Turning Point,'” Sinise added. “And it’s the September 11 chapter, talking about the ’80s and ’90s and all that in preparation for this call to action after September 11 and the deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq of our troops and wanting to do as much as I can to help them and their families.”

These days, it often feels like Veterans don’t get nearly as much respect as they deserve in this country.

God bless Gary Sinise for continuing to go above and beyond in service to our active duty military and Veterans!