Ohio veteran Kenton Stacy is a good example of why Time magazine missed the mark in naming its 2019 person of the year.
Time may have thought Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, who values emotions over science, was person of the year, but anyone who loves America could easily argue that honor should go to Gary Sinise.
The successful actor who will forever be known as “Lieutenant Dan” from the Forrest Gump movie has made it his life mission to give back by honoring America’s veterans through his Gary Sinise Foundation.
The foundation says of itself:
At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.
We do this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.
It’s Sinise’s care for veterans like Stacy, a senior chief petty officer from Greenville, Ohio, which makes Sinise a notable person.
Stacy returned home in late November to a hero’s welcome, WBNS reported. The explosives ordinance technician was badly injured in November 2017 by an improvised explosive device while clearing a hospital in Syria.
Family and community members greeted him at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, WBNS said. Gov. Mike DeWine sent him a certificate to honor his service. The Ohio Patriot Guard, Columbus police and Ohio State Patrol escorted Kenton to his home in Greenville.
Sinise wants to build Stacy, his wife and four children a home in California designed for his special needs.
The Gary Sinise Foundation link to donate for the homebuilding effort is here.
Soon after finishing high school Kenton joined the U.S. Navy as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technician. On November 19, 2017, while serving in Syria, Kenton was severely injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As a result of the blast, Kenton became a quadriplegic and was blinded in his left eye. He also experiences issues with his speech.
Kenton has undergone extensive rehabilitation in several facilities including the TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research) Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. Kenton has received numerous awards for his service including a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and three Navy Achievement Medals. He is proud to have been named the 2010 USO Sailor of the Year.
The Gary Sinise Foundation is honored to provide this deserving hero and his family a specially adapted smart home in Poway, CA, to ease their daily burdens.
The family’s current home is two stories, making it difficult for Kenton to navigate through the residence in his wheelchair, the Sinise Foundation said.
The foundation said it has built 60 specially adapted “smart homes” for wounded veterans, among its many other programs for service members and first responders.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Kenton Stacy” by Kenton Stacy.
