Gary Sinise, a Trouper for the Troops

He stars in a weekly prime-time crime drama, has directed on Broadway and has appeared in major theatrical films. But it's Gary Sinise's signature role in "Forrest Gump" that sparks recognition wherever he goes.

"A lot of people see my face and don't know my name, but they all know Lieutenant Dan," Sinise said, referring to his role as an embittered Vietnam veteran in the 1994 movie.

Sinise, the new co-host of PBS's National Memorial Day Concert on the Mall, even adopted the character's name for the group of musicians he jams with.

"I had been going on USO tours and I asked if it might be a good idea to take a band with me sometime, and that's how the Lieutenant Dan Band got started," he said.

The band of 12 musicians plays country, rock and blues covers, both contemporary and classic. "We jump around a lot, keep the audience going," Sinise said.

Last year, fresh from a tour overseas, the band arrived in Washington in time to play at the Memorial Day concert. "I think that not enough people really think about Memorial Day, but they need to realize it's there for a reason," Sinise said.

This year, Sinise and co-host Joe Mantegna will be joined by Lee Ann Womack, Colin Powell, Dianne Wiest, Big & Rich, Charles Durning, Frederica von Stade, Daniel Rodriguez, and Erich Kunzel and the National Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will salute pilots who flew during World War II as the Air Force prepares to mark its 60th anniversary next year. Durning, a World War II veteran, will tell the story of Corbin Willis Jr., who flew nearly 80 missions in World War II and Korea and was held in a Berlin prison camp. The concert also salute members of the National Guard and their families at home.

Although he has long been active behind the scenes with disabled veterans' and Vietnam veterans' issues, Sinise said his involvement with the military increased after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He fits his travels around the shooting schedule for "CSI: NY," visiting stateside military bases during the show's run and touring overseas during its hiatus.

"I basically tell the USO my availability and say, 'Where do you need me to go?' I've been to Singapore, Korea, the Netherlands," Sinise said. "Those aren't war zones, but we still have people there. If I can pat someone on the back, sign some autographs, that means a whole lot to an average American who's volunteered to serve his country and whose family is back home, trying to figure out how to pay the bills while they worry about their loved one who's away."

NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT

Sunday

8 p.m.

PBS