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Former US Marine Willy Joseph Cancel was reportedly killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the country. The news of his demise was confirmed by his family members to CNN.
Cancel's mother Rebecca Cabrera told the publication that her son was working with a private military contracting company and was sent to Ukraine to fight amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
She said Cancel accepted the offer and decided to go to Ukraine as he believed in the cause the country was fighting for:
"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."
Cancel reportedly flew to Poland on March 12 and arrived in Ukraine sometime around March 12 and 13. His mother shared that he was fighting alongside a group of men, all of whom came from "different countries."
Cabrera also shared that the men who informed her about Cancel's death shared that his body was yet to be found:
"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."
An official from the US Department of State mentioned that the situation was being "closely monitored" but no details could be provided due to "privacy considerations."
Willy Joseph Cancel worked as a full-time corrections officer
Willy Joseph Cancel was a 22-year-old American citizen who worked as a full-time corrections officer in Tennessee and also served as a private military contracting company.
He was also a former US Marine and recently went to Ukraine to fight alongside Ukrainian officials amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Unfortunately, Cancel was killed while fighting in Ukraine.
His mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN that her son was a thoughtful person and always stood up for others:
"He was just a really thoughtful person. He always put everybody ahead of himself even when situations were so stressful. He always kept everybody laughing and calm. He was the man that stood up when everybody else stood back."
Cancel's brother-in-law Devin Tietze Jr. echoed similar sentiments and said that he was the "type to fight for what's right regardless of the outcome."
Willy Joseph Cancel originally hailed from Orange County, New York. He is survived by his wife Brittany Cancel and their seven-month-old child.
Brittany spoke to Fox News and called her husband a "hero." She also said that his family was looking forward to giving him a proper burial:
"My husband was very brave and a hero. I did not expect to be a widow at 23 years old or for our son to be without a father. All I want is for him to come home, and to give him the proper burial he deserves."
Brittany also shared that Willy Joseph Cancel once served as a detention officer in Kentucky and had "dreams and aspirations of being a police officer or joining FDNY."
Reports suggest efforts are currently underway to search for Willy Joseph Cancel's body.
