Former US Marine Dead in Heartbreaking Incident

Former US Marine Dead in Heartbreaking Incident

(UnitedVoice.com) – Thousands of Americans, many of them former service members, have traveled to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Sadly, it has cost several of them their lives, including a former Marine from Cleveland, Ohio.

The family of Cooper “Harris” Andrews told CNN that he died in Ukraine. They believe he was killed on April 19 on the “Road of Life,” a road that leads into Bakhmut and is used by the Ukrainian military to evacuate civilians and resupply its forces. The area is a hot spot of fighting right now as Russia is trying to gain control of the city.

Willow Andrews, the former Marine’s mother, said that he was hit by a mortar while volunteering with a group known as the Resistance Committee. She said that he left home in November to join the Foreign Legion, a group of fighters from foreign countries that are helping the Ukrainian military. Harris’ contract ended in March, but he decided to stay and continue to help the ravaged nation and its people.

The American’s mother said her son’s body has not been recovered. She explained the ongoing fighting in the area has made that impossible right now. The State Department confirmed an American died but did not release any names. A spokesperson said the agency is “providing all possible consular assistance.”

Harris isn’t the only American who has died during the war this month. On April 12, The Daily Beast reported the State Department confirmed two Americans had been killed in the country. One of the victims was identified as Edward Walter Wilton.

The other was a Marine veteran, Grady Kurpasi. A GoFundMe account for his family said he went there to train Ukrainian soldiers and ended up fighting alongside them because of the need for combat-experienced leaders. He died as he was leading Ukrainians into a battle.

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