COLLEGE STATION, April 19, 2010 – George Bush, 41st president of the United States, and Mrs. Barbara Bush will host an event celebrating the USO and its role in lifting the spirits of America’s men and women in uniform and their families. The event is scheduled for Monday, April 26 at 4 p.m. in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at the George Bush Presidential Library Center at Texas A&M University.
Event panelists will include Gary Sinise, a film and TV star; Mayra Veronica, singer and model; Major General Jeffery W. Hammond, U.S. Army, chief of staff of U.S. Forces Command; and Sloan Gibson, the 22nd president and CEO of the USO (United Service Organizations).
The event will include remarks from the panelists about the ongoing mission of the USO and an audience question-and-answer session. The forum will be followed by a reception and screening of the award-winning film “The Lt. Dan Band: For the Common Good,” which will be hosted by Jonathan Flora, the film’s director.
In partnership with the Public Service Organization at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, attendees will be able to contribute to the USO’s efforts by donating supplies, including toiletries and items to benefit deployed troops. The items can be dropped off at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center prior to the event. A list of suggested items is available at www.georgebushfoundation.org.
The USO will also have its Mobile USO on hand to provide a first-hand view of the services available to troops serving in remote and isolated areas throughout the U.S. These vehicles offer a comfortable place where service members can relax and connect online with family and friends during their downtime.
The USO has lifted the spirits of America’s troops and their families at home and abroad since 1941. Today, the USO is on the front lines with our troops at some 150 centers around the world from Afghanistan and Iraq to places at home like Fort Hood and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. President Bush’s father, Prescott Bush, served President Franklin Roosevelt as the second chairman of the USO, and as a young Navy pilot, President Bush spent time at USOs during World War II. The USO also played a significant role in maintaining the morale of American Forces during Operation Desert Storm when President Bush was commander-in-chief. The USO continues to carry out that mission with a particular focus on wounded warriors, military families, and the families of the fallen through Operation Enduring Care.
Sinise’s portrayal of Lt. Dan in the Oscar-winning film Forrest Gump made him a mainstream movie star and earned him nominations for an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He currently stars as Detective Mac Taylor in CBS’s CSI: NY. He regularly performs with his Lt. Dan Band for the USO and for other military and veterans causes.
Mayra Veronica is a Cuban-American actress, singer and model. She began her entertainment career as a celebrity reporter and entertainment show host in Miami and as a co-host on Univision. She is a favorite with the military troops during her USO tours around the globe and has become known as a “modern day Betty Grable.”
Major General Jeffery Hammond serves as the chief of staff of U.S. Forces Command headquartered at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He has previously served as the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, and of the Multi-National Division in Baghdad, Iraq. Throughout his assignments, both domestic and abroad, General Hammond and his troops have benefited from the USO’s presence and services.
Sloan Gibson is the USO’s 22nd president and CEO. Prior to joining the USO, Gibson spent more than 20 years in banking and has a long history of service and leadership with a variety of not-for-profit organizations. Gibson is a 1975 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He earned both Airborne and Ranger qualifications and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army.
The presidential forum honoring the USO is a ticketed event. Doors will open at 3 p.m. and seating is on a first come, first served basis. Please limit backpacks, bags, cameras, or other personal belongings. A limited number of free tickets are available at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the MSC Box Office at Texas A&M University, the Bryan-College Station Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Eagle, KBTX-TV and WTAW.
For more information about the event, call (979) 862-2251 or visit www.georgebushfoundation.org.
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ABOUT THE GEORGE BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY FOUNDATION:
The George Bush Presidential Library Foundation was established in 1991 as a nonprofit educational foundation at Texas A&M University. In addition to sponsoring its own programs and activities, the Bush Foundation provides program and financial support to the George Bush Presidential Library Center, which includes the Library and Museum as well as the George Bush School of Government and Public Service.
ABOUT THE USO:
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. The USO provides a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases around the world, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services tailored to meet troop needs. The USO also provides critical support to those who need it most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families, and the families of the fallen.
The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency; the USO relies on the generosity of its donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, as well as other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). The USO strives to deliver maximum benefit for troops and their families from every donor dollar. For more information, please visit www.uso.org.
Contact: Tom Hughes, News & Information Services, at (979) 862-4001
Tags: Gary Sinise, Jeffery W. Hammond, Mayra Veronica, Sloan Gibson, USO