Joe Mantegna, Actor, Host of the National Memorial Day Concert

Joe Mantegna grew up around multiple family members who were combat veterans of World War II. He tried to become a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War but was dismissed due to poor eyesight. But for more than 20 years, Mantegna has been a very active supporter of our active duty military, veterans, and families of the fallen. Since 2002, he has been a part of the National Memorial Day Concert, serving almost all of those years as a host or co-host alongside fellow veterans advocate Gary Sinise.

In this edition of "Veterans Chronicles," Mantegna shares his story from growing up in Chicago to becoming a successful actor on stage and screen. He also explains how his understanding of Memorial Day changed drastically once he was asked to be a part of the concert. Mantegna also tells us how the powerful stories that get presented each year are chosen and what it is like to share such emotional moments in front of the families who lived it and often lost their loved ones.