Gary Sinise to perform in Wheaton

One mystery Gary Sinise hasn't had any trouble solving is how he can support troops and their families.

The "CSI: New York" star and Chicago-area native will be back in town this weekend for the third annual Operation Support Our Troops Illinois' Rockin' for the Troops concert.

The event will be Saturday at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. Gates open at noon and performances begin at 4 p.m.

Throughout the afternoon there will be vendors, children's activities, a World War II display and Windy City Skydivers parachute jump.

Beatles tribute band American English takes the stage at 4 p.m. followed by opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m., comedian Tom Dreesen at 7 p.m. and Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the concert are $25 and must be purchased in advance at area Jewel grocery stores or online at www.osotil.org.

Proceeds from the concert will go to Operation Support Our Troops Illinois, which sends care packages to troops overseas. The group already has sent more than 16,000 packages.

Sinise recently talked with the Daily Herald about his scheduled performance and his dedication to helping the troops.

Q. What brings you back to this show year after year?

A. It's one of the concerts I look forward to every year. The first one was terrific and we went back the second year. There were 5,000 to 6,000 people the first year. Then 10,000 to 12,000. It seems like it's becoming a nice annual summer event and certainly helps out a great organization.

These folks at Operation Support Our Troops Illinois are doing terrific support work for our troops and I'm thrilled I got to be able to help them out and have some fun at the same time.

Q. What can we expect from this year's show?

A. Tom Dreesen is coming who is a friend of mine. (He's) a great, great comedian who is going to perform. There's a Beatles (tribute) band coming, too. The size of the crowd last year was so big and went back so far that I suggested to them this year they get a Jumbotron screen so folks all the way back there could see a little bit. They're bringing in some screens and going to make it even better for the folks in the far back. I think it's going to be terrific show.

Q. What band would you like to be part of if you had the chance?

A. This band. My own band. I love all the people I play with. I don't do it because I'm an aspiring songwriter or somebody who is a frustrated musician doing acting work on the side. This is just something I enjoy doing. I used to play (bass) as a kid and would have fantasized about playing in front of big crowds and everything like that. Now, because I think the place I am in the movie business and coupled with the fact the band is really good, makes it possible for me to actually live out those fantasies a little bit.

I enjoy playing in front of these great crowds. The most important aspect to me is that the audience is having fun and what I'm doing with the band is actually helping several charities and helping support our troops and entertain them and their families. About 75 percent of our shows are either for the troops or troop support organizations or - to raise money for charity.

So the band is a fun thing for me. It's not something I'm trying to make a lot of money on, it's something I'm enjoying doing and the best part of it is that I can use it to help various organizations and military folks out.

Q. How did you become so passionate about military causes?

A. I've been very involved locally in the Chicago area in Steppenwolf with Vietnam veterans groups. In the early '80s we started something with local veterans organizations that has become a tradition at Steppenwolf, which is the final dress rehearsal of the show before we go into previews and is open for free for veterans. We've done this since 1982.

It's something I've been involved in because I have Vietnam veterans on my wife's side of the family. On the other hand, I'm an American citizen who values the fact that we have all-volunteer armed forces and with our active duty service members, I want to make sure they understand they are appreciated and that this volunteer service they've chosen is not taken for granted. It's a dangerous world out there and we're lucky to have people that want to defend our country.

Q. You've made several trips to Iraq. What were those experiences like?

A. It's fantastic. When I go on these trips we try to get to as many places as physically possible in the time I have. (We're) constantly moving, shaking hands and signing autographs for as many troops as we can fit into the time allotted. It keeps me pretty busy but it's all worth it. The brief moment you get to spend with one of these troops can mean a great deal to them.

Some of the troops I've met over the years have not made it. Just recently I met a family who came up to me at a military event I was attending and told me I had met their son in Afghanistan and he called them immediately and told them and was excited he got to meet me. I talked to him and had gotten a picture taken with him. A month later he was killed. I met his family just this past May and they were there because they wanted to tell me it meant a lot I had come to visit.

You never know what's going to happen to anybody you're going to meet. I'm sure that's not the only time that's happened because I've been on so many bases and met so many troops over the years. I know my being there, as brief as it might be for whoever I met, it might be a positive thing for them and could help them. They are in a dangerous business. I think it's strengthening and helpful for them to know there are Americans who appreciate them. It's good for their families to know that as well.

Q. Is there a message you'd like to get across in Saturday's show?

A. I want them to have a good time. Quite a bit of the time I'm not necessarily playing for the troops but for their families - who are at home waiting out the long deployments so we can bring joy into folks' lives and make them feel better. It's quite rewarding.

Q. Is there a presidential candidate who you think would best handle the war?

A. I'd prefer to keep the interview focused on the troops and leave that out of it.

Q. OK, then, one Chicago question before we go. When you're in town, is there somewhere you have to visit when you get the chance?

A. This trip is going to be tight because I'm coming in on the 16th from Kuwait. I'll spend the rest of that day adjusting. The next day, the 17th, I'll probably see a play at Steppenwolf, which I founded as a theater years ago and usually try to check in there. On the 18th the band plays at the Great Lakes Naval base. It's our fourth or fifth time there. The (Operation Support Our Troops Illinois) show is the 19th. I leave on the 20th. If I had more time, which you never know, I might show up at Wrigley Field. I might pop over to Gibsons. Who knows.

If you go

What: Rockin' for the Troops concert

When: Gates open at noon, performances begin at 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton

Tickets: $25. Must be purchased in advance at Jewel grocery stores or www.osotil.org

Info: www.osotil.org