ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwired - November 02, 2016) - In celebration of the USO's new brand awareness campaign, Force Behind the Forces, as well as the sacrifice of Medal of Honor recipient Desmond T. Doss, four-time USO tour veteran Vince Vaughn treated service members to an advance screening of "Hacksaw Ridge" at Joint Base Andrews on Oct. 28. Enlisting support from Hollywood, Vaughn brought along actor Luke Bracey and director Mel Gibson. "Hacksaw Ridge" opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, Nov. 4, from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment label. ***Link to event photos and video below***

DETAILS:

• Just prior to the screening attended by 900 service members and their guests, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey and Mel Gibson participated in a USO Q&A, where they reflected on the importance of Private First Class Desmond T. Doss' story and shed insight about the making of the film.
• Mel Gibson brings to life the true story of former Army medic Desmond T. Doss (played by actor Andrew Garfield) in Lionsgate's "Hacksaw Ridge." The only American soldier during World War II to fight on the front lines without a weapon, the film follows Doss as he single-handedly braves fire and skillfully evacuates and saves the lives of 75 men from behind enemy lines during the Battle of Okinawa.
• Far from a stranger to those serving and the USO, Vince Vaughn's father served in the Navy and his sister was an Army Reservist before serving as a member of the Texas National Guard. He first volunteered with the USO in 2004, when he screened his film "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story." He then volunteered with the USO the following year debuting his runaway hit film "Wedding Crashers," followed by a USO screening of "Unfinished Business" in 2015. Vaughn's USO travels have taken him to many countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and California. In total, Vaughn has visited and entertained more than 9,300 service members and their families.
• Born and raised in Australia, Luke Bracey has appeared in a string of hit films and television shows. Among those are "Point Break," "Best of Me," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "The November Man."
• Best known for his role as Martin Riggs in the "Lethal Weapon" buddy cop action franchise, Mel Gibson is one of Hollywood's most sought after actors, directors and producers. Among his many, many film credits are "Mad Max," "Braveheart," for which he won a Golden Globe as well as Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture, "The Man Without a Face" and countless others.
• The USO strives to keep our nation's service members connected to family, home and country, with events like the USO screening of "Hacksaw Ridge" at Joint Base Andrews. Just a few weeks after the USO launched Force Behind the Forces, a brand awareness campaign encouraging Americans to stand in support of service members and military families. Supporters are asked to join the USO, Lionsgate, Vince Vaughn, Luke Bracey and Mel Gibson and visit USO.org/FORCE to learn how you, too, can become a Force Behind the Forces.
• Feb. 4 marked the USO's 75^th anniversary and kicked off of a yearlong global celebration. The USO Screening of "Hacksaw Ridge" is just one small part of that ongoing celebration.

QUOTES:

Attributed to Vince Vaughn:

"I've had the opportunity to go on a few different USO tours and I've always supported the men and women of the military," said Vince Vaughn.

Attributed to Luke Bracey:

"It's humbling to help these service members kick-off their weekend," said Luke Bracey. "We make movies about these stories, but these guys are doing the real thing. We are very thankful to be here and if we can help start their weekend on a positive note, that's a fantastic thing."

Attributed to Mel Gibson:
"What's wonderful about this screening with the USO, is that the central character was a medic just like many of those in the audience tonight," said Mel Gibson. "It's amazing what we created here and while Private First Class. Desmond T. Doss is gone, his good clings to the planet and I hope this film inspires everyone tonight, the same way it inspired me."

MULTI-MEDIA:

USO Tour Photos: https://wdrv.it/e13584687

USO Tour video: http://bit.ly/2feKtKj

"Hacksaw Ridge" Press Kit: Register at www.lionsgatepublicity.com/

About the USO
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.

In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT&T, the BNSF Railway Foundation, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, NFL, Southern New Hampshire University and Four-Star Partners: Advisors Excel, BIC, ConAgra Foods, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Starbucks, TKS, USAA and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.