WASHINGTON (AP) – A former US Marine was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia, his relatives told reporters at the first known death of a US citizen fighting in Ukraine.
Rebecca Cabrera told CNN that her son, Willie Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed on Monday while working for a military company that sent him to Ukraine.
Cabrera said her son worked as a correctional officer in Tennessee and signed to work with a private military contractor shortly before the fighting in Ukraine began in late February. She told CNN that he had agreed to go to Ukraine.
“He wanted to cross because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for, and he wanted to be part of it to keep him there so that he wouldn’t come here and that maybe our American soldiers wouldn’t have to take part in him, “she said.
Cabrera said her son’s body was not found.
“They didn’t find his body,” she said. “They are trying, the men who were with him, but it was either to grab his body or be killed, but we would like him to come back to us.
She said her son flew to Poland on March 12th and entered Ukraine shortly after. She said he was fighting alongside men from a number of countries.
The United States did not confirm the reports. On Friday, the State Department said it was aware of the reports and was closely monitoring the situation. Due to privacy concerns, we have no further comments. We remind you once again that US citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the separation of American citizens in Ukraine from Russian government security officers, and that US citizens in Ukraine must leave immediately if it is safe to they shall do so by means of commercial or other private land transport options. “
Cancel’s widow, Brittany Cancel, told Fox News that he was leaving a young son behind and that she saw her husband as a hero.
“My husband really died in Ukraine,” said Brittany Cancel. “He went there eager to help people, he always felt that this was his main mission in life.
She said her husband had voluntarily left for Ukraine, but also aspired to become a police officer or firefighter.
“He had dreams and aspirations to be a police officer or join the FDNY,” she told Fox. “Naturally, when he found out about what was happening in Ukraine, he wanted to volunteer.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of Ukrainians died in the war. Other U.S. peacekeepers have been killed, including a documentary filmmaker killed when his car was shot at a checkpoint and a man killed while waiting in line for bread.
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AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.
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