Celebrity Lineup for the 2010 Parade

Gary Sinise – Honorary Marshal

Currently starring as Det. “Mac” Taylor on CBS’s “CSI: New York,” Gary Sinise will forever be linked with the character of Lt. Dan in the Oscar-winning film “Forrest Gump,” which earned him nominations for an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Sinise has become one of the most popular supporters of our military men and women, due to his extensive charitable work on their behalf. Since 2003 he has traveled to Iraq three times and to Afghanistan, and is the co-founder of “Operation Iraqi Children” with author Laura Hillenbrand. His band, the Lt. Dan Band, has gone on two-dozen USO tours and played over 40 benefit concerts. He is also the spokesperson for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation. Mr. Sinise served as the Grand Marshal of the 2006 National Memorial Day Parade, and his support has been instrumental in building the parade into the great tradition it has become in such a short time.

Joe Mantegna – Honorary Marshal

Winner of the Tony Award for his acclaimed performance in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Joe Mantegna currently stars as FBI Special Agent David Rossi in the CBS series “Criminal Minds.” He is also the co-author of the play “Bleacher Bums,” which was adapted for television and earned an Emmy Award. He received Emmy nominations for his role in “The Last Don,” and “The Rat Pack” in which he played Dean Martin. In addition to dozens of other film and TV credits, Mr. Mantegna can be heard in the recurring role of Fat Tony on “The Simpsons.”

In 2004, Mantegna was named chairperson for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This organization helps focus public attention on VA medical centers with the goal of increasing the number of VA volunteers. For the last several years, he has served as co-host of the National Memorial Day Concert, broadcast across the nation on PBS the evening prior to Memorial Day.

R. Lee Ermey – Honored Guest

Ronald Lee Ermey (born March 24, 1944) is a retired U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor. Ermey spent two years as a drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, and Parris Island, South Carolina from 1965 to 1967. In 1968, Ermey arrived in Vietnam where he served for 14 months with the Marine Wing Support Group 17. He then served two tours of duty in Okinawa, Japan, during which he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) and was medically retired in 1972 for several injuries incurred during his tours.

After his retirement, Ermey began an acting career and has often played the roles of authority figures, such as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in Prefontaine and Sheriff Hoyt in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake.

He has hosted two programs on the History Channel: Mail Call, in which he answers viewers’ questions about various militaria both modern and historic; and Lock N’ Load with R. Lee Ermey, which focuses specifically on the development of different types of weapons.

Hugh O’Brian – Honorary Marshal of World War II

O’Brian was born Hugh Charles Krampe in Rochester, New York, the son of Hugh John Krampe, a career United States Marine Corps officer, and his wife Edith Krampe. O’Brian dropped out of the University of Cincinnati after one semester to enlist in the Marine Corps during World War II. Only 17, he become the youngest Marine drill instructor.

After World War II, O’Brian moved to Los Angeles and became an actor. He is best known for portraying legendary lawman Wyatt Earp on ABC. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp debuted in 1955 as the “first adult western,” and it soon became one of the top-rated shows on television. During its seven-year run, Wyatt Earp consistently placed in the top 10 in the United States. For his contribution to the television industry, Hugh O’Brian has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6613-1/2 Hollywood Blvd. In 1992, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Hugh O’Brian has dedicated much of his life to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY). HOBY is a non-profit youth leadership development program that empowers 10,000 sophomores annually through its over 70 leadership programs in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its inception in 1958, over 355,000 young people have been inspired by HOBY.

Edith Shain – Honored Guest

It is one of the most iconic photographs of all time. On August 14, 1945, crowds surged into Times Square in New York to celebrate the surrender of Japan to the United States – V-J Day. The photographer Alfred Eisenstadt, on hand to document the celebrations, saw a young sailor running down the street, kissing every woman in sight. When he stopped and grabbed a nurse in a white uniform, Eisenstadt snapped a quick photo. The rest is history.

In the excitement, Eisenstadt never got the names of the sailor and nurse. Then, in the 1970s, Edith Shain wrote to him, finally coming forward to admit that she was the nurse. She recalled that everything happened so fast, and that while she was shy about letting the public know it was her in the photo, she had decided to let the sailor kiss her since he had fought for her in the war. In the decades since, the photo has become legendary, and recognized by millions around the world.

Pre-Parade Ceremony will feature:

Invocation – Rear Admiral Mark L. Tidd, Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps and Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains

National Memorial Day Choral Festival Choir

Tenor Steve Amerson

Steve Amerson is known as America’s Tenor. He has been a featured soloist with major symphonies across the United States and abroad including performances at the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall.

His voice can be heard on over 150 movies and numerous television shows including Wolfman, 2012, Get Smart, Meet the Robinsons, Matrix Revolutions, Matrix Reloaded, King Kong, Fantastic Four, The Patriot, Indiana Jones; Temple of Doom, Glory, Home Alone, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, The Hunt for Red October and commercials for Ford Trucks, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Diet Coke, Spree, Mercedes, IBM, and Delta Airlines. Steve performs for Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and Society and sang at the dedication of the Medal of Honor Museum onboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston. In 2009, Steve was presented the “Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment” by the Medal of Honor Society. He has also performed for Wounded Warrior events as well as Sky Ball and Snowball Express events for American Airlines.

Steve and his wife, Kristine, make their home in Southern California. They have two children, Katherine and Matthew. (Matthew is a member of the California Army National Guard.)