Military Connection: Actor Gets It Right

The Last Ship is an American post-apocalyptic drama television series, based on a novel of the same name by William Brinkley. The show, airing on TNT, follows CDR Tom Chandler, commanding officer of the USS Nathan James. Chandler, played by former Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane, must take his crew on a search for a cure to a virus that has killed over 80 percent of the world’s population.

Dane, the son of a Navy Veteran who served in Vietnam, and died when Dane was just seven years old, is teaming up with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to bring to light the challenges mourning military families face.

TAPS is a nonprofit national Veterans service organization that offers peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, and casualty casework assistance and crisis intervention for military families.

TAPS was founded by Bonnie Carroll after the passing of her husband, Army Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, in a C-12 plane crash in 1992.

Carroll praised Dane’s involvement. “TAPS has been very blessed to have wonderful support from many sectors of our society, citizens who have stepped forward to honor those who have selflessly served in the cause of freedom,” she said.

Recently, Dane visited Pentagon leaders and staffers to speak out about his support for TAPS. “TAPS offers help, hope, and healing to families of our fallen service men and women,” he said.

For Dane, working on The Last Ship has afforded him the chance to meet service men and women from all ranks and branches, something he is grateful for.

“The more I learn from you, the more impressed I am by your service to this great county, and the more determined that I am that all of us on the show get it right when it comes to portraying military [people] on television,” Dane said to current and former military soldiers and their families. He added, “My show is fictional. You’re the real heroes.”

To Carroll, Dane takes his role on The Last Ship as Navy Commander Tom Chandler very seriously. “He portrays the Navy in the absolute best light; it is a collaborative effort,” Carroll said. “He is one of us … an extraordinary individual and great citizen.”

You can watch The Last Ship this summer when it returns.

MilitaryConnection.com, is a proud media sponsor of TAPS. For more information visit http://www.taps.org.

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