Posted by Tina
Tired of the shallow self-celebratory nature of most award shows? Looking for something a little more heartfelt and genuine? You need to read about the second annual Celebration of Freedom Gala and the awards given to honor those who have given of themselves for freedoms sake:
The Hollywood awards show not shown on TV, by Andrew Breitbart Washington Times
On Saturday, my wife and I were privileged to attend the second annual “Celebration of Freedom Gala.” We joined more than 1,000 others who, like us, were electrified to honor 43 of the 98 living Medal of Honor recipients. We also gave our thanks to former first lady Nancy Reagan, war hero and actor Charles Durning, and Gen. David H. Petraeus. **
** Before the program commenced at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, one prominent actor sang the praises of HBO’s “Taking Chance” to a Vietnam-era Medal of Honor recipient. *** Tom Selleck presented the “Lifetime Achievement Award” to a frail yet still elegant Mrs. Reagan, who received the first extended standing ovation of the evening. *** Gary Sinise, a Presidential Citizens Medal recipient and the event’s co-sponsor, delivered the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment to Charles Durning, whose courage and grit during World War II earned him the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. *** Mr. Sinise asked attendees to commit themselves to entertaining the troops and singled out one actor/singer who had done so in spades: Connie Stevens, who labored for 40 years for the USO. Miss Stevens, still beautiful and radiant at 70, accepted the extended and deserved standing ovation. *** CNN correspondent Alex Quade received an award for her courageous and honest war reporting. One could not help but notice how appreciative the men and women in uniform were for Ms. Quade’s even-handed treatment of America’s warriors on the battlefield. *** The evening’s biggest star was Gen. Petraeus, who was received like an A-list star at the height of his career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Gen. Petraeus took special care to thank his wife, Holly, and to note the special sacrifices of the families of those deployed abroad during war. *** Filmmaker Jake Rademacher, whose award-winning documentary comes out this weekend, was also in attendance. “Brothers at War” provides an up-close and intimate vantage of the Iraq war. **