Burke, on May 28, 1989; they had met two years earlier during her guest appearance on a Simon & Simon episode. He appeared on the series in which she starred, Designing Women, as Dash Goff (who was named after a real person from Fayetteville, Arkansas, whom Delta Burke's fellow castmate, Annie Potts, had met while filming Pass the Ammo on location). In 1992, McRaney served as Bacchus in the Krewe of Bacchus at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana. Having played a Marine Corps veteran on Simon & Simon and a Marine Corps officer on Major Dad, he has always been very supportive of veterans and soldiers, although he is not a veteran himself. He made many visits to support the soldiers in Operation Desert Storm. During one USO-sponsored trip, McRaney visited sailors and Marines on board ships ported in Toulon, France, on Thanksgiving of 1993 and signed autographs for the men on board the ships. While on board the USS Ashland, he autographed one sailor's cowboy hat. He also visited troops during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1993. In 1994 he visited troops of task force 1/87 deployed to Haiti for Operation Restore Democracy. McRaney chaired the Department of Veterans Affairs' 2002 National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans campaign, honoring hospitalized veterans and promoting volunteerism at VA medical center. He has appeared in commercials for the Wounded Warrior Project. In August 2004, McRaney underwent successful surgery for lung cancer, in Houston, Texas. Politics Endorsing incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush for re-election in 1992, McRaney stated: "Most of my life I've been a Democrat, but the last several presidential elections have finally convinced me that I might as well go ahead and admit I'm a Republican." His first presidential vote was for Democrat Hubert Humphrey in 1968. At the 1992 Republican National Convention, McRaney introduced Second Lady Marilyn Quayle. In 2008, McRaney supported Republican candidate John McCain for president. McRaney has appeared in TV commercials on behalf of the National Rifle Association dating back to 1987. Filmography Film Television References External links 1947 births Living people People from Collins, Mississippi American people of Choctaw descent American people of Scottish descent Male actors from Mississippi American male film actors American male television actors University of Mississippi alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Mississippi Republicans Primetime Emmy Award winners