A former United States Marine was killed in action after leaving his wife and baby to fight Russians in Ukraine.
22-year-old Willy Joseph Cancel from New York was a former US Marine who took up arms and flew to Ukraine to help protect the civilians after Putin invaded the country.
Leaving his wife and his 7-month-old baby behind, Cancel left his home in Orange County and signed a private military contract that allowed him to fight alongside Ukrainian forces.
As CNN now revealed, however, the young soldier has passed away. The details surrounding his manner and place of death remain unclear.
“He wanted to go over because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for, and he wanted to be a part of it to contain it there so it didn’t come here, and that maybe our American soldiers wouldn’t have to be involved in it,” Willy’s heartbroken mom, Rebecca Cabrera, said in an interview with CNN.
“They haven’t found his body. They are trying, the men that were with him, but it was either grab his body or get killed, but we would love for him to come back to us.”
Cabrera went on to reveal that her son worked as a corrections officer and that he entered Ukraine back in March after flying to Poland.
She also explained that her son was one of many foreign fighters who decided to join Ukrainian forces in their fight for freedom.
“He believed wholeheartedly this shouldn’t have happened and he wanted to go help the people in Ukraine,” the 22-year-old’s brother-in-law, Devin Tietze, added.
Willy is survived by his wife Brittany and their 7-month-old son Anthony. Our thoughts are with the family during these challenging times.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!
Recommended Video For You!
Wife Sends a Photo to her Marine Husband Abroad, then she’s divorced