VetFamily

WeSalute 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.” 

WeSalute 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. It's not easy,” comedian and former Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond told NPR in all seriousness. 

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.”

WeSalute Awards 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute 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.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Kenneth Fisher, Chairman of Fisher House Foundation Editor's Note: Veterans Advantage honored Kenneth Fisher, the head of the Fisher House Foundation, with its VetFamily Award in 2010. The U.K.’s Prince Harry asked Kenneth to chair the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida earlier this year. In an exclusive interview, Fisher speaks out about the power of the games for wounded soldier athletes, inspirations from his own veteran family, and continued passion for serving our military families.

Military & Veterans Life An Interview with Kenneth Fisher, Chairman of the Fisher House Foundation We had the pleasure of interviewing Kenneth Fisher, Chairman of the Fisher House Foundation, to learn more about his background and what inspired him to give back to the military and veteran community.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Ina Garten, One of America's Favorite Chefs With the holiday season upon us, a hearty meal is the centerpiece of millions of homes across the country, and that means many households are looking for expert recipe advice. One of America’s great foodies is a VetFamily and she’s there to help!

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Ciara, Entertainer, Model, and Military Brat Ciara Princess Wilson, better known as Ciara, is a singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and fashion model. She's also the product of a military family. Both parents served in the U.S. military.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Dierks Bentley, Country Music Star To the country music world, Dierks Bentley is as real as Nashville gets. Fresh off his co-hosting of the 2016 ACM awards this month, he is a Top Ten singer and entertainer who embodies country music's steadfast support of our nation's military. He is also the son of a World War II Army Veteran.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Ron Rivera, NFL Head Coach After a near-perfect season (18-1) and a recent win over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship, the Carolina Panthers punched their ticket to Super Bowl 50, where they will face the Denver

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Michael Strahan, Former NFL Star Now Plays Big On TV When Michael Strahan, former defensive end of the New York Giants, took the stage at his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, he had a long list of people to thank for getting him there. First on that long list was his father, Gene Strahan, a former commander in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Joe Girardi, Player and World Series-Winning Manager, Son of an Air Force Veteran There's more to New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi than his signature military-style crewcut. Girardi holds military service dear to his heart, honoring his late father's service in the U.S. Air Force.

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Donna de Varona, Two-time Olympic Gold Winner At 13 years old, Donna was the youngest participant in the 1960 Olympic Games. Four years later, she broke an unprecedented 18 world swimming records and won two Gold Medals at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. In the mid-60's, Donna went on to break the gender barrier in sports broadcasting and change the landscape of women's sports forever through her tireless efforts to pass Title IX of the Equal Education Ame

WeSalute Awards VetFamily: Donna de Varona: Touch of Gold To Recognize Women's History Month, Veterans Advantage honors Board Member Donna de Varona. A two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and pioneer for equality for women in sports and broadcasting, Donna is the daughter of a combat medic who served with the Red Cross in WWII, and spouse of Army Veteran John Pinto.