Hollywood post to host national telethon

Historic American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood, Calif., is the venue for a nationally televised four-hour celebrity telethon Sunday on the Military Channel.

The "Homeward Bound" event airs 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. (EST) to raise funds for and provide support for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Celebrities and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces will answer calls at the Legion post, which has been used in numerous films and television scenes through the decades.

Some Tribune Broadcasting stations will simulcast at least a portion of the telethon: WPIX New York (http://pix11.com/) from 7-9 p.m. Eastern time; WGN Chicago (http://wgntv.com/) from 10:30 p.m.- 12:30 a.m. Central time; and KTLA Los Angeles (http://ktla.com/) from 4-6 p.m. Pacific time.

Hosting the telethon will be film and television stars Alan Alda and Joe Mantegna.

Among the celebrities who will appear or perform on the telethon are: Mark Harmon, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, Rocky Carroll, Michael Weatherly and David McCallum (NCIS); Patti Austin, Jason Bateman, James Brolin, Michael Feinstein, Connie Francis, Jason Gould, Charles Hirsch, Gloria Loring, Marty Papazian, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kevin Spacey, Steve Tyrell and Ben Vereen.

Live performances by The American Military Spouses Choir, vocal groups Under The Streetlamp, Gentlemen’s Rule and The Temptations Review, and "So You Think You Can Dance" choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D’Umo will also be featured.

The broadcast will include the personal stories of combat veterans and their families, ranging from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom. Among veterans scheduled to speak are 2013 Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Ty Carter; Bronze Star recipient Staff Sgt. Kyle Hausman-Stokes; U.S. Paralympic Medal Winner Lance Cpl. Brandon Pelletier; actor/Navy SEAL Joel Lambert ("Manhunt"); and Tuskegee Airman Lt. Bob Friend.

To learn more about the telethon, visit www.homewardboundtelethon.org. The program can also be found on Facebook; click here to view.

To learn about historic American Legion Hollywood Post 43, visit www.hollywoodpost43.org on the web.