Gary Sinise is a Hollywood actor best known for his role as Vietnam War veteran Lt. Dan in the 1994 film Forrest Gump. When he isn’t portraying a veteran on television, Sinise has spent much of his life assisting veterans in reality through his eponymous organisation, The Gary Sinise Foundation. Gary Sinise auctioned off a very special and patriotic Jeep to support his beloved Veterans in one of his more unforgettable auctions.
The actor recently stepped up to support soldiers once more by auctioning off an old vehicle for $1.3 million.
The vehicle in question was a 1981 Jeep CJ7 that Richard Rawling’s Gas Monkey Garage had modified with a one-of-a-kind patriotic stars and stripes motif.
When Sinise stated that he would auction off the vehicle, he noted that all profits will benefit military veterans and first responders.
The monkeys are pumped that y'all get to see the newest @FastNLoudTV build go across the block this Friday at @Barrett_Jackson. 100% of the proceeds will go to the @GarySiniseFound and you can a bid online! Head to https://t.co/6n5GqEVyHM for more info! pic.twitter.com/jMiKJip3EU
— Gas Monkey Garage (@GasMonkeyGarage) January 16, 2019
The jeep was originally auctioned off for $200,000, but Sunbelt Rentals came in to contribute an additional $1 million. Things only got brighter from there when the buyer drove the jeep around the block a second time, and it sold for $100,000. The total revenues from the jeep amounted to $1.3 million, all of which was dedicated to veterans and first responders!
Sinise was so pleased with the proceeds that he included a special dinner with him in Los Angeles as well as a visit to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
He stated afterwards that it’ll be difficult to surpass his first auto auction. There were many veterans in the audience, so he got to recognise and appreciate them.
This 1981 @Jeep CJ7 is a custom @GasMonkeyGarage build completed for a future episode of Discovery Channel’s @FastNLoudTV. With award-winning actor @GarySinise on the block, it will be auctioned with 100% of the hammer price going to the @GarySiniseFoundhttps://t.co/OSbuW2LH6L pic.twitter.com/IZVXJcvfP1
— Barrett-Jackson (@Barrett_Jackson) January 9, 2019
Sinise has made assisting soldiers a top goal in his life since appearing in Forrest Gump.
Sinise remarked that when the Vietnam War soldiers returned home, they were not honored well and had to hide into the shadows. When they began deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, he wanted to do his bit to ensure that the men and women who were doing their part were recognised.
If only there were more Gary Sinises in Hollywood!
