Gary and Joe Mantegna will be hosting the National Memorial Day Concert on May 25, 2008. PBS broadcasts this event; check your local PBS station for listings, or visit PBS.org.

The full press release is after the jump.

Washington, DC, April 28, 2008 – As the war in Iraq and Afghanistan wages on, PBS unites our nation with the award-winning National Memorial Day Concert honoring the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, their families at home and all of those who have given their lives for our country. The event, which has become the memorial service for our entire nation, is co-hosted for the third year by Gary Sinise (CSI:New York) and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veteran’s causes and supporting our troops in active service. The top-rated show will be broadcast live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, May 25, 2008 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) before a concert audience of 300,000, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.

This year, the event will pay special tribute to the veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam and the sacred war memorials built in their honor in our nation’s capital. Actor, highly decorated World War II veteran and 14-year National Memorial Day Concert participant Charles Durning will also be recognized for his bravery and sacrifice as part of the “greatest generation” who stepped forward in a time of need. And, the valor of our newest veterans will be honored as we examine the bonds that buddies form on the battlefields of Afghanistan.

Joining co-hosts Sinise and Mantegna is an all-star line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists including: multiple Grammy award-winning Motown legend Gladys Knight; classical crossover soprano and star of the stage Sarah Brightman; General Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); Best Actress Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel (Wicked, Rent); actor and comedian Denis Leary (Rescue Me); distinguished actor Charles Durning; country music star Rodney Atkins; actor and singer John Schneider; actress Gail O’Grady (American Dreams, Boston Legal); film and television actress Caitlin Wachs; and violin virtuoso Robert McDuffie; in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Erich Kunzel, recipient of the 2006 National Medal of Arts. The U.S Joint Chiefs of Staff will also participate in the event along with The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, The Soldiers Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The Master Chorale of Washington, an Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Flags from each branch of the armed services provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.

“I think all Americans have a moral obligation to honor the military, by taking a moment to pause and reflect on the bravery and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, so that we can truly appreciate what they gave to preserve our freedoms,” said Joe Mantegna. Added co-host Gary Sinise, “Lending a hand to our country’s servicemen and women is truly one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Knowing that they are not forgotten and that their sacrifice is appreciated can make a world of difference.”

“Besides the soldiers, families and friends are casualties of war too,” said concert executive producer Jerry Colbert. “We think of the agony of the mother or father who lost a child, the spouses and children left behind, the people who are wounded in body and soul. And, we create this concert as a memorial service to remember and reach out to them.”

The National Memorial Day Concert features uplifting musical performances, documentary footage and dramatic readings that honor all Americans who have served or made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. It is the nation’s premier Memorial event, using the powerful medium of television to reach out to millions and it provides an outlet for loved ones to remember, grieve and begin to heal.

Co-hosts Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise have a very personal connection to the troops and veterans who have served our country. Both Mantegna and Sinise have several relatives and friends who served in Vietnam and World War II. In 2004, Mantegna was named Chairperson for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs while Sinise is a regular on the USO tour circuit performing for troops with his Lt. Dan Band. Over the past four years, Sinise has traveled to Iraq three times and Afghanistan in support of the troops. He has also started the “Operation Iraqi Children” project which collects supplies for the children of Iraq and he also serves as spokesperson for the Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial Foundation (ADVLM), which is building a memorial for America’s 3 million living disabled military veterans.

For the 2008 event, Colbert has assembled an award-winning production team that features the top Hollywood talent behind some of television’s most prestigious entertainment awards shows. The team includes: Emmy award-winning producer Walter C. Miller, America’s leading director and producer of live programs including the Grammy Awards and Country Music Awards; award-winning director Paul Miller whose credits include The Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live; and veteran television writer Joan Meyerson who was honored with a distinguished Writer’s Guild Award for the 2006 National Memorial Day Concert. The program is a co-production of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C.

A companion Web Site at http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert will feature a comprehensive viewer’s guide to the 2008 concert and a special remembrance area where veterans and their families can send eulogies for their loved ones and friends to be delivered to the national memorials in Washington, D.C.

For over 25 years, Capital Concerts has produced the two major patriotic events at the U.S. Capitol. In 1981, executive producer Jerry Colbert presented the first PBS Fourth of July concert with the National Symphony Orchestra and guest artists performing live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. In 1990, he introduced the National Memorial Day Concert. Since then, both holiday specials have been honored with over 55 awards including the New York Film Festival Award, the Telly Award, the Golden Cine Award, the Videographer Award, the National Education Association Award, the Aurora Award, the Christopher Award, the Communicator’s Award, the AXIEM Award, the Omni Award and the Writer’s Guild of America Award.

The National Memorial Day Concert is made possible by grants from The Boeing Company, Disabled American Veterans and Golden Corral Restaurants, the National Park Service, the Department of the Army, the National Endowment for the Arts, PBS and public television stations nationwide. Air travel is provided by American Airlines.

Posted by Lynn at 8:18 am in Troops/Veterans, Appearances | Permalink