Lt. Dan Band performs at Fort Bragg Fairgrounds

Photo By Staff Sgt. Diandra Harrell | Jeff Vezain (left), vocalist in the Lt. Dan Band and Gary Sinise, actor, director, philanthropist and bass guitar player for the Lt. Dan Band rock the stage at a free public concert at the Fort Bragg, N N.C. Fairgrounds, Sept. 14. Sinise and Vezain have been performing together since 2003 when the band was created and have performed in more than 40 United Services Organization tours and many other charitable events since then.  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

09.14.2012

Story by Sgt. Diandra Harrell 

50th Public Affairs Detachment

FORT BRAGG, N. C.— The crowd goes wild during a free public concert by the Lt. Dan Band at the Fort Bragg, N.C. Fairgrounds, Sept. 14. This event was held as part of actor Gary Sinise, and his band member’s, continued support of soldiers and local military communities.

“You serve a cause greater than yourselves and when somebody like me comes out with a band to play music for you all, I hope it lets you know how much you mean to us,” said Sinise, actor, director, philanthropist and bass guitar player for the Lt. Dan Band.

As part of the event, the United States Army Special Operations Command Black Daggers jumped into the fairgrounds. The Black Daggers are the official Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team who conducts live airborne demonstrations in support of the special operations community and recruiting.

After singer Jill Charles performed the national anthem, the concert began as Sinise and his band members came out on stage and took their positions. The crowd roared as classics such as Stevie Wonder’s, “Very Superstitious” and The Beatles, “Hey Jude” were performed.

“It’s great music,” said Spc. Benjamin Applebaum, a combat documentation specialist with the Military Information Support Operations Command. "It’s also free and offers soldiers something different to do."

“As a soldier this type of event lets me know that people remember what we do and haven’t forgotten about us,” said Spc. Jimmy Trejo, a visual information equipment operator and maintenance specialist with MISOC.

As the festivities came to a close, Sinise shared kind word with the soldiers in the audience.

“We have the best military,” he said. “You are the providers of our freedom and we don’t take that for granted.”

• Date Taken: 09.14.2012
• Date Posted: 09.17.2012 15:11
• Story ID: 94839
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US