The Russian troops were on the march, having come to the country of Georgia to lay claim to parts of a republic that was once part of the old Soviet Union. Georgia had gained independence back in 1918 after the Russian Revolution, but now, in 2008, the Russians were back, attempting to reclaim the self-proclaimed independent republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
As a result, ethnic Georgians were expelled from those regions and military bases were established with Georgia losing control of both areas after the short-lived but bloody conflict.
Eighty miles south, in the town of Sagarejo, 9-year-old Goga Bitadze and his family were cooped up in their home, filled with dread, watching TV reports of the Russian incursion into their proud, independent country. Goga knew something serious was happening – he could see the fear and concern in his parents’ faces – but he saw an opportunity to be a superhero for his family and his people.
“I was like,…
