Gary Sinise, a multi-awarded actor who has been in the industry since the year 1982, is back on the big screen in a movie about war veterans once again. This time he is not a veteran from the Vietnam war like Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump but will play the role of Larry in the movie entitled Sgt. Will Gardner.
The latest masterpiece of writer and director Max Martini focuses on the life of Sgt. Will Gardner, an Iraq war veteran who suffers from a Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder he developed during the war. In the movie, Sgt. Will Gardner will embark on a meaningful motorcycle journey to reconnect with his long lost son as he struggled to make peace with the painful memories buried on his mind.
The character of Sgt. Will Gardner may be fictional but his plight is a reflection of about 20% of veterans who served in Iraq. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health problem caused by a distressing event. Those affected with PTSD experience having unwanted flashbacks, haunting nightmares, nerve-wracking anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the disturbing event. These symptoms of PTSD prevent one from socializing with the people around them and interfere with one’s daily activities.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be manifest to those who have experienced horrifying acts. This means that children, teenagers, and adults can be affected by PTSD. However, according to statistics, war veterans commonly show symptoms of PTSD. In fact, according to the Defense Department report by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, there are more than 300,000 of veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD since the year 2000.
Sadly, PTSD is but one among the problems war veterans have to deal with. According to latest statistics, there are about 50,000 war veterans who do not have a warm and secure place to call their own. Also, a lot of veterans have limited healthcare cover. The plight of the veterans only goes to show how much they need every help they could get.
For the award-winning writer, director, and actor Max Martini and respectable actor Gary Sinise, it is only right to help the veterans who fought hard for our good. If not for them, we might not have been enjoying the things our society is privileged with today.
Believing that our brave and selfless veterans deserve a better quality of living, Martini was inspired to help them through his latest masterpiece. In order to help, Martini decided to donate 30% of Sgt. Will Gardner’s sales revenue to veteran organizations! Specifically, these three veteran organizations are: Higher Ground, Warrior’s Heart, and Gary Sinise’s very own foundation- the Gary Sinise Foundation.
The Higher Ground is a non-profit organization which is based in Idaho. In line with their mission, this organization sends out their patients to recreational therapy that is expected to help them have a better life. The organization believe that through their recreational programs, an individual suffering from physical and mental illnesses can recover and find a peace of mind.
The Warrior’s Heart, based in San Antonio, on the other hand, aims to provide free private treatment to adults suffering from chemical dependency caused by PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury. Particularly, these people are those who are active military, veterans, firefighters, police, and EMT’s.
It is no secret that Gary Sinise has always been a big supporter of our honorable and respectable war veterans. In his effort to at least give back and paint a smile on their faces, Sinise’s own foundation came up with a yearly ‘Snowball Express’ which sends the children of our fallen heroes to the happiest place on earth.
“Anyone who goes to Military.com is aware that Gary is the #1 military charitable driving force in Hollywood. Nobody does more than he does for our veteran community,” Max Martini proudly exclaimed on an interview.
According to recent statistics, there are over 18.2 million of war veterans living in the United States. while over hundred thousands of them are homeless. Clearly, looking by the figures alone, it is very clear that the veterans need our help. After all, we forever owe our freedom from the people who bravely and willingly risked their life in the battlefield for us to live better.
Watch the trailer of Sgt. Will Gardner, a truly inspiring movie that will open your mind to understand more about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. May the touching trailer inspire you to help our honorable veterans now that they need us the most.
Do not forget to TAG someone and SHARE this story to help raise funds for our brave and selfless veterans – WATCH the #SGTWillGardner and support Max Martini and Gary Salinger in their generous and compassionate cause!
Photos and VIdeo | Cinedigm