Movie Heroes: “Battleship”, Taylor Kitsch and LTC Gregory Gadson

Taylor Kitsch as “Lieutenant Alex Hopper” and Rihanna as “Petty Officer Cora ‘Weps’ Raikes” in the movie “Battleship”

I favor the underdog. I like hearing the story of a person who worked hard to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and overcome their circumstances. Beat the odds. Tell the world that they’re gunning for Number 1 and no one can stop them.

Taylor Kitsch was the main character in two movies that seriously bombed: John Carter and Battleship. I watched “John Carter” when I found out the back story: that before “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, there was “The Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which had made an incredible journey to make it to the big screen and become “John Carter”. And Kitsch is also a guy who hit so rock bottom that he was homeless and living out of his car.

So I read stuff like that and want to give the movie a chance.

The story with “Battleship” was no different.

I didn’t realize, however, that the movie had a character who also had an incredible back story.

Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales was played by a real life soldier by the name of LTC Gregory Gadson. He is a double amputee who lost his legs in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attack in Iraq in 2007.

I don’t like the fact that people fight and someone may end up losing their life, regardless of which side. But I understand the need to protect and defend an ideal. So when I see people doing extraordinary things, overcoming what many would consider an obstacle, I see the greatness in humanity. A person extending a hand to another, regardless of the flag, politics, creed or orientation makes me smile.

I know the world is not perfect. I know there are haters. And I know there are some who are a little more violent with their opinions (and I’m referring to ALL countries). I just hope for a day we can look beyond the hate and see the person for what they really are and not the politics of their skin.