While every day is a struggle, Sinise says he may have been helped in navigating the heartbreaking loss of a child, if that's possible, by what he's seen so many others experience.

"My heart goes out to anybody who's been through this. I've met thousands of parents who've lost a son or daughter in military service," says Sinise. "And maybe, without my knowing it, God was preparing me for something coming down the road with my own family."

"Perhaps I was a little more prepared for dealing with it because I've seen so many other people go through it."