Actor and philanthropist Gary Sinise marked the anniversary of D-Day by urging Americans to remember the sacrifices of the World War II generation, calling the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy “the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime.”
Speaking Friday on Newsmax TV’s “Saturday Report,” Sinise reflected on the scale of the Allied effort during World War II and the courage of the service members who fought in Europe and the Pacific.
“It’s really incredible when you think of what they did,” Sinise said. “When you look at the world at war at that time, it’s staggering to imagine.”
Sinise said D-Day represented a turning point in the war against Nazi Germany and highlighted the importance of preserving the stories of the dwindling number of surviving World War II veterans.
He pointed to a trip organized by American Airlines during the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024, when veterans traveled to Normandy and Sainte-Mère-Église, France, to commemorate the invasion.
Sinise noted that many veterans are now reaching ages where long-distance travel is increasingly difficult.
“So many veterans were able to travel at that time,” he said. “They’re getting older and older. They can’t travel as much.”
Sinise, founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, said he has traveled with hundreds of World War II veterans through the organization’s Soaring Valor program, which brings veterans to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
He said those experiences provided firsthand insight into the sacrifices made by members of what is often called the Greatest Generation.
“When you spend time with the members of the military who were there during that time, who hit the beach at Iwo Jima, who stormed the beaches of Normandy, who fought their way into Germany, who liberated the concentration camps, it’s just remarkable and humbling,” Sinise said.
He also emphasized the contributions of civilians on the home front, including the “Rosie the Riveters” who supported the war effort by producing military equipment and supplies.
“We can never do enough to thank the men and women who fought that war,” Sinise said.
The comments came days after Sinise hosted the 37th annual PBS National Memorial Day Concert on May 24 from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Sinise co-hosted the event with actress Mary McCormack, filling in for longtime host Joe Mantegna.
During the nationally televised concert, Sinise paid emotional tributes to America’s veterans and to his late son, Mac Sinise, who died in 2024 after a battle with a rare cancer.
The annual program honored military service members, veterans and the families who support them while highlighting stories of sacrifice, resilience and remembrance.
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