Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Betty White This week, America mourns the death of its favorite Golden Girl: Betty White passed away on New Year’s Eve, just two weeks before her 100th birthday. While best known for her seven decade-long career in Hollywood, the eight time Emmy-winning actress was greatly influenced by military service, including her marriage to Allen Ludden, a Bronze Star medal recipient and celebrity game show host and volunteering to support the troops in World War II.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Elizabeth Banks Actress, director, and producer Elizabeth Banks has a military family, and she proudly brought that connection to Hollywood.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Aniston has had more success than most actors and actresses dream of, spending 10 years on the hit show “Friends” and moving on successfully to major films. It’s easy to forget that she comes from an acting family and, maybe more surprisingly, a military family.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Kathryn Cross Kathryn Cross truly lives a life of devotion to our country, and its women and men who served it. She was born on an Air Force base, and has a rich family history of military service, including her dad who served during the Korean War as a flight instructor. She encouraged her firstborn to join the Navy as an aspiring SEAL, and he once proudly told his mother, “I am a lifer Ma, I love what I do!”
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Jimmy Fallon "You serve with bravery. You serve with style. You serve with six pack abs. I can barely run a mile," sang comedian Jimmy Fallon. “Well, we owe it all to you. I only wanna thank the troops,” he finished to the tune of Hootie and the Blowfish's hit "Only Wanna Be With You” as an audience of soldiers clapped along on The Tonight Show in 2018.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Andy Reid Next Sunday, Super Bowl LV (55) kicks off from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. And the man leading the Kansas City Chiefs to defend last year’s Super Bowl win comes from a military family. Head Coach Andy Reid has been with the Chiefs since 2013 and will lead the team against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next weekend.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: John Mayer “I am about the same age as the first wave of Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans,” said popular singer John Mayer, speaking about today’s post-9/11 veterans. “I have felt gratitude and discomfort about the disproportionately large burden that military service members carry in our society, and I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to ‘support the troops’ with real action instead of platitudes.”
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Darrell Hammond “My experience is, you become a warrior, it's pretty tough to convert. You know, it's tough to look into the eyes of an SS officer on Friday, and pump gas in Mississippi on Monday.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Pink, Daughter of Vietnam Veteran and Military Supporter “I have seen the rain. I've survived the pain. Oh I've been home 30 years or so, and I'm just stepping off of the plane...”
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Michael Jordan The grit. The discipline. The stamina. These are part of what made Michael Jordan one of the best basketball players in history. But they’re also qualities of two of his family members who served in the military: James Jordan Sr., his father, in the Air Force, and James Jordan Jr., Michael’s older brother, in the Army. All three Jordans possessed the team loyalty and leadership capability required for a life in service on or off the court.
Veterans Advantage Awards Derek Jeter, Son of Two Army Veterans Derek Jeter’s superstar achievements confirm the New York Yankee traditions that have preceded him. But, unlike many of history’s prior pinstripe legends, the true measure of Jeter’s success is due to his play on and off the field – and it comes thanks in large part to his parents who both served in our nation’s military.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Milo Ventimiglia Milo Ventimiglia has been in show business most of his life, but is best-known these days for his leading role in NBC’s hit drama series “This is Us.” Chronicling the Vietnam War service of his character, Jack Pearson, Milo credits the experiences of his Vietnam veteran father to help bring the role to life.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Patton Oswalt, Comedian and Son of a Marine Most of America knows Patton Oswalt, the television and standup comedian, from The King of Queens and Two and a Half Men. But few know that he was named after legendary US General George S. Patton, thanks to his Marine Corps Officer father. Oswalt, with his signature wit, once tweeted his Dad “USMC Col. Larry J. Oswalt (Ret.) -- a jet fighter man and continuing awesome dad. Thank you for fighting for my right to whine.”
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Dennis Quaid Actor Dennis Quaid has appeared in dozens of movies, including “The Right Stuff,” “The Parent Trap,” “Breaking Away,” and “The Rookie,” among others. Among his many awards, he received the New York Film Credits Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in “Far from Heaven.” Throughout Quaid’s star studded career, his World War II veteran father motivated and inspired him.
Military & Veterans Life VetFamily: Bill Belichick With his historic sixth Super Bowl victory behind him, New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick stands with a record of success that will make his father’s fellow Annapolis Midshipmen proud.
Military & Veterans Life VetFamily: Chris Pratt “We have the greatest armed forces the world has ever seen,” movie star Chris Pratt wrote on Instagram.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Tiger Woods Champion golfer Tiger Woods has had a golf club in his hand since he was a toddler, always under the watchful eye of his Army Ranger dad. He suffered a great loss when his dad died in 2006 and what followed were multiple surgeries and personal setbacks. But never before has his career - or life - been tested as it was on February 23, 2021.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Barbara Corcoran Barbara Corcoran is a businesswoman best-known for her role on one of America's top-rated TV shows, Shark Tank, by acclaimed TV producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) that airs on the ABC Network. She is a self-made real-estate millionaire, possesses a commanding presence in the boardroom, and is a role model for business entrepreneurs across America. She is also the spouse of former FBI agent and retired Navy captain, Bill Higgins, who also pursued a career in real estate after his military service.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: George Clooney, A Man on a Mission George Clooney has two Oscars, has starred in dozens of acclaimed films, and has been called the sexiest man alive and America’s most eligible bachelor. No longer a bachelor, Clooney just welcomed twins with his wife, Amal. He has also had a great lifelong relationship with his father, Nick Clooney, a U.S. Army veteran, who is now inspiring him to be a great dad himself.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: George Clooney, A Man on a Mission George Clooney has two Oscars, has starred in dozens of acclaimed films, and has been called the sexiest man alive and America’s most eligible bachelor. No longer a bachelor, Clooney just welcomed twins with his wife, Amal. He has also had a great lifelong relationship with his father, Nick Clooney, a U.S. Army veteran, who is now inspiring him to be a great dad himself.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Reese Witherspoon, Inspiring Young Girls With a supportive Dad who was an Army surgeon in Cold War Europe and a lineage that traces back to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon brings a unique "down home" flavor and a sense of "giving back," unique qualities in Hollywood.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Gary Sinise Plays Winning Role in Veteran's Advocacy Gary Sinise's most famous military role may have been Lieutenant Dan Taylor in "Forest Gump," but these days he's playing a leading role in veterans' advocacy off screen.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Ryan Seacrest, The Hardest Working Man in Hollywood Ryan Seacrest, the son of an Army Veteran, is often referred to as the “hardest-working man in Hollywood”, and he’s living up to his nickname - Seacrest recently moved to New York City to become Kelly Ripa’s permanent co-host on the popular morning show Live with Kelly and Ryan.
Veterans Advantage Awards VetFamily: Peter Sarsgaard, Actor Actor Peter Sarsgaard was born on a U.S. Air Force base, grew up living the military brat lifestyle, and is successfully channeling his wide range of experiences into A-list movies such as Jarhead, The Magnificent Seven and 2017 Oscar hopeful Jackie in his lead supporting role of Bobby Kennedy.
