The family of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran has said he has died fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia in Ukraine.
Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed during fighting this week, his family members have told media outlets.
"My husband did die in Ukraine," Brittany Cancel, the widow of the 22-year-old Marine veteran, told Fox News Digital. "He went there wanting to help people, he had always felt that that was his main mission in life."
Cancel’s mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN her son signed on for work with a private military contracting company in addition to his job as a corrections officer in Februrary, shortly before Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
"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," Cabrera said in a phone interview.
Shortly after the war began, contractors were asked by the company to go to Ukraine, and Cancel agreed, Cabrera said.
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Brittany Cancel told Fox News that her husband flew into Poland on March 12 and crossed into Ukraine at a point between March 12 and March 13.
"He had dreams and aspirations of being a police officer or joining FDNY,” she told Fox. “Naturally when he found out about what was happening in Ukraine he was eager to volunteer."
Cabrera also said her son’s body had not been found.
"They haven't found his body," she toldl CNN.. "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."
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A State Department official told CNN that it was aware of the reports of Cancel’s death and is closely monitoring the situation.
"Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," the official added. "We once again reiterate US citizens should not travel to Ukraine due to the active armed conflict and the singling out of US citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials, and that US citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately if it is safe to do so, using any commercial or other privately available ground transportation options."
Cancel leaves behind his wife and a 7-month-old son.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.