Actor Gary Sinise says there's still "tremendous need" to support veterans who served after 9/11 attacks

There's a  "tremendous need" to support veterans who answered the call to serve on 9/11, after the terrorist strike that killed nearly 3,000 people on U.S. soil in 2001, says award-winning actor and philanthropist Gary Sinise.

"I probably would've hung it up a while ago, and it wouldn't have manifested into a full-time mission," Sinise said of the eponymous foundation he established in 2011 to support veterans who served after the 9/11 attacks. "The public supports (it) with their generous donations and allows us to reach out and touch people all over the country who are in need. And there are a lot of people in need."

According to the USO, about a quarter million people served their country in the wake of 9/11 in both active duty and reserve forces. Over time, many have retired or are entering retirement with battlefield wounds after reaching 20 years of service.