Jonathon Blank discusses his childhood growing up in the countryside in Kansas and reflects on how his family dynamic cultivated his and his sibling's interests in joining the military. His father remembers when Jon and his brother made the conscious decision to join the Marine Corps after 9/11. He discusses how Jon's injuries in the IED blast not only physically injured Jonathon, but also how the blast affected their entire family.
The Gary Sinise Foundation, through its R.I.S.E. program, has already built 58 homes for severely wounded veterans and announced that their next home would be for Jonathon Blank. The Gary Sinise Foundation was started by the actor after he played Lt. Dan Taylor, a disabled US Soldier, in the film Forrest Gump.Pete Franzen, senior project manager for the Gary Sinise Foundation, said Blank will be built a custom-made home in Midway that aims to make his life much easier. Jorgenson Builders, who build customized homes for the Gary Sinise Foundation said Blank's home would be ready in a year.