Hello to all subscribers of Kyiv Defenders, as well as to all those who are with us for the first time on our channel. We continue the series of conversations with very courageous and strong people who began to defend our country and bring us closer to our victory. We have the opportunity to talk with a unique hero – this is a guy from America who came to defend our country, and now we will learn his story. I hope you will hear the answers to the questions that you would obviously like to ask our guest.
Welcome, Alex! Thank you very much that you decided to protect us, that you decided to change your life to save our lives. Tell us your story.
My name is Alex, so I was essentially living in the United States. I was in the military from 2007 to 2012. I did four appointments to Afghanistan in that time. I got out and essentially was just living a normal life until all this happened and I decided to come over here and help.
Do you remember that moment when you decided to go to Ukraine?
Yes, so I was actually working as a supervisor at a manufacturing plant. And saw that… you know, I was watching it like building up until February 24. I was seeing that Russia was putting troops on the border and people were saying well they might invade, they might not. I know the history of Ukraine and this has been happening for hundreds of years. So I kinda figured that. I paid attention in 2014 when they essentially invaded Crimea and was paying attention to it pretty much the entire time. When it happened this time, I’m like going to go over and help.
So you’re experienced soldier and you’re a fighter?
Yes. It was kind of everything together. Knowing the experience that I have and what I can bring over here to help and just kind of train and teach and help how I can. It wasn’t necessary for Russia to invade and they did anyways, so you know it was a very clear sign for me to come over and help.
When did you come here?
In March.
Last year?
Yes.
Wow, It was really quick decision.
Yes.
How did you explain to your relatives and friends why you’re going to Ukraine?
I mean pretty much just told him know this is what I’m gonna do. We pulled out of Afghanistan and I was wanting to go over there do contracting work, but I was working as a supervisor still during that period and I didn’t do anything at that point but when I saw Russian invade I decided to come over her. I contacted guys on Facebook trying to figure out how to get over here and they told me get in contact with the Legion. I did that. It was just very like, kind of, sporadic thing to get over here you’re talking to guys and they are going like “hey you might end up dying when you come over here”. I guess this is my life now.
I understand you had an idea about Ukraine before you come here. You know something about our history and you know it’s not very good history, especially with our neighbor. But if you have some idea of Ukraine, what did you expect to see here or maybe you found something you didn’t expect to see?
I really didn’t know. It was very strange you know coming into a place that was actively of war. Russia was… you know at that point there was no air defense, there was no anything. People were telling me they [russians] were hitting convoys coming in because, I know, foreigners were coming in, and you’re just like “I have no idea what to expect”. So it was very strange, but you know being here just seeing how the people are, it’s very amazing, you know. You see people walking around wearing the Ukrainian flag, people here love their country and they’re willing to fight and die for it. It’s honestly amazing just seeing you know how prideful people are being Ukrainian.
Did Ukrainian winter surprise you?
Yes, it’s a lot colder than you think it is.
Especially in the field, not on the street?
Yes, and being from United States, it’s a different cold than I’m used to.
How do you survive?
Being very cold. Waiting for the spring.
Were you sick?
Yes.
Not even one time I think, yes?
It tends to happen a lot.
How can you describe the Ukrainian soldiers? Do they fight in some unexpected way or maybe they behave some… somehow differently and do you see the difference between Ukrainian soldier and Russian soldier?
Yes, so Ukraine has a lot of different types of soldiers, they have special kind of built like the America you’ve got territorial defense which are essentially just normal every day people that are wanting to fight for their country they don’t have a lot of training but they’re willing to go and fight for this country which is amazing, and then you have your guys that have been fighting full since 2014 learning NATO standards, they are very tactical, very smart. The weaponry that they have is really good, night vision… Essentially they’re like a NATO Special Operations, so yes. The difference is the Ukrainians are fighting for their country, they’re fighting for every inch of dirt that they can because it’s theirs and the Russians really don’t know what they’re fighting for, they’re just here because they’re told to come here.
They look disappointed.
Yes. Very… morale is very not good. They live in the field, a lot of times they don’t have the gear that they need to have, so the winters for them are just as bad or worse than you know. Ukrainians have really good equipment, so they’re able to survive and it be a lot… not easier because nothing here is really easy, especially because it’s war, but it’s a lot better fighting for your country and having like moral support from your family here, that you can… guys rotate off the front come back and see their family, it’s a really great thing.
How do civilians usually react on you?
People can kind of tell that, I’m not Ukrainian, but people show love it’s… it’s an amazing thing to see people, people are really appreciate.
How was it?
Yeah I’ve been, you know, in the back of vehicles and people are giving me a heart sign or giving me candy or you know “Slava Ukraine”. And it’s you know… It’s really nice, people know that you’re here to help and it’s a great feeling when people appreciate you for it.
What’s the most cute present you got from the civilians?
We’ve had people give us food all the time.
Food?
Yeah I’m a big boy, I like eating so that’s pretty nice.
And how do you find Ukrainian cuisine?
I like it. I Iike borshch. Depends on who makes it if it’s homemade or if it’s you know with the Ukrainian military is not as good as homemade.
Homemade is the best. Who’s waiting for you at home?
I have a family. I’ve got a son back home, I’ve got Mom, Dad. I try not to really call them that much because I’m trying to focus on being here but I do have a family back home that I miss.
How long are you going to stay here?
Yeah, I’m hoping that this is that this is going to be done soon but it’s going to be as long as I need to.
You know soon it doesn’t mean nothing.
Yeah, I know.
What you mean when you’re using this word soon?
I you know trying to figure out how fast a war like this is going to be over. Because I know you know in places like Zaporizhzhia there’s just no… there’s no easy solution to it. No NATO country has fought in something like this: there’re minefields that are kilometers deep you know hundreds of kilometers wide they don’t understand the extent to how vast that is you can’t move guys across it you can’t move Vehicles across it because there’s artillery behind it that’s shooting at you and you really can’t you can’t move. And guys are essentially dying trying to cross over it. And it’s… I don’t know I don’t think there’s any country in the world that could figure this out the guys are going to continue to fight until they retake all their land there’s no other option for Ukrainian.
And we’re going to fight for our land.
Yes.
Can you please describe your the most maybe difficult uh common task.
So it’s now it’s dealing with essentially artillery. When I was here last year it was a lot it was a lot worse you know they were shooting 10 times what you were shooting so you know sitting there in a trench an hour just. Boom. Boom. Boom. That’s kind of how this war is fault it’s a very old school trench artillery war and that’s a very hard war to fight especially when everything is mind you can’t move so it’s just guys shooting artillery at each other it’s a very hard slow fight.
Is it going to change, how do you think?
I hope that once you know the first line of defense gets broken through that it goes very fast that’s what I hope happens. But I don’t really know I hope it is soon but I’m planning on staying longer than you know pretty much as long as it takes.
Thank you. What did you learn about Ukraine for the last uh 18 months maybe you learned something you’re going to use in your normal life something you bring home?
It’s really seeing seeing the people here and it’s you know you don’t even see that back in in the states anymore as people being so patriotic about their country you know you see people everybody’s wearing blue and yellow everybody wears it you know wearing Rings clothes wearing the flag. It’s it’s a really amazing thing if you know you really can’t see that anywhere else in the world besides here now because it’s a war it’s an active Invasion that they have done and people have gotten together and you know it’s a very close-knit country that everyone pretty much loves each other it’s an amazing thing to see.
Did you really believe that the Russian army is the second army in the world before?
Before yes, but you know how the the oligarchy works everyone has to get their cut everyone has to get paid so they do that by taking money at every step of the way so you think that their equipment is topnotch the best but how does that happen when everyone at every level has to get paid somehow and they all do it. All their generals do it you know everybody in the Russian military does it. They’re pretty much taking money at every level and then that comes out of the equipment that they buy. We were always told that Russia does have this they have that but now seeing it in you know in real time they are it’s not the corruption completely ruined their military and they don’t have the equipment that you know it doesn’t work like they say it works it you know I mean there there are really good Russian units out there and they do have really good equipment but it’s not as much and as good as everyone thought it was.
How do you think the uh the public interest in USA in this case in this war degreased and if it’s it is how we can influence it?
I would think that people if if the tables were turned and it was someone invading the United States I would think people would go we need help from everywhere look America has we have been the holder of democracy and freedom for for every country for every place and there’s right now is not the time to stop this is an active Invasion where Russia came here raped and murdered women and children, they’ve killed innocent people and that’s not something we need to give up on.
But it looks like the world are tired about this war.
So is Ukraine, but Ukraine can’t stop.
We can’t but how can we stress the the world like come on?
People need to come and go to places like Bucha and look and there’s you
know you drive down the road and you see houses with you know a tank has blown a house apart and there’s shrapnel everywhere and they’re they’re still there and Bucha is not in a war zone now it’s right outside of Kyiv yeah you know they’re finding Mass Graves there finding you know hundreds of people that have been murdered and people don’t get to see that kind of stuff raped kidnapping and you’re you’re walking down the street and something that’s not a war zone and you see just a house blown apart where they hit they hit a a market and blow a Market apart why people don’t get to see that every day they’ve kind of gotten fatigued from seeing all this but when you’re actually there and you see it all the time you know you seeing houses that are blown apart shrapnel in it and you know a lot of people have left places like that a lot of people have been killed in places like that it’s it’s really sad to see.
Have you ever seen it before such a deep strong war this murderous rapes so why they do?
I don’t know you know there were very small incidences in the United were very small incidences in the United things and murdered but everything is held accountable if you do something like that in the military you’re going to be held accountable you’re going to go to prison for doing that kind of stuff.
And for the Russian army it looks like they’re allow they are just allowed to do this.
Yeah there’s no accountability there’s the structure is wrong they have no accountability for their actions and you know the Russians really don’t care they they like the tactic because they use it to scare people so they’ll rape and murder and no one gets held accountable Ukraine is having to hold them accountable and put these people’s faces out there that rape and murder people Russia doesn’t care.
What do you think about Ukrainian volunteers?
It’s amazing to see that you know like like ke Defenders you know you guys are doing everything possible to help get donations bring vehicles bring trucks cars to guys on the front it’s it’s an amazing thing to see that even you know the people that are back here doing everything that they possibly can to help the guys that are fighting it’s a really amazing thing to see.
Could you remember some case when the volunteer impressed you?
I mean it’s really all the time just you know if we need anything you know we talk to you know volunteers here food vehicles anything and you guys are always okay let me see what I can do it’s a very it’s a very amazing thing to have somebody like that.
What was the foster help you remember?
Yeah it’s I mean really getting getting food and getting clothes getting sleeping bags stuff like that I mean it’s immediate if if someone has it they’re they’re giving it to us immediately.
In USA uh we can say maybe one of the best in the world uh the program for reintegration for War uh veterans. What it included do you know what is about it?
Yeah I mean a big thing is uh like mental health you know it’s a it’s a big thing especially you know there’s going to be a lot of problems here once the war is done and still now. Post trauma yeah so it’s you know getting… getting support group um being able to talk to a big thing is being able to talk to therapist being able to talk to psychologist and kind of figure out you know how to work yourself out of this because you’re going to have you’re going to have a lot of soldiers that are done fighting that are still dealing with trauma guys that have lost limbs guys that have been shot so there’s going to be a lot of mental health issues once this is done that needs to be a big part the VA helps with that a lot the VA really does you know everything you know getting out finding a job finding something to do.
It has to be an all-inclusive kind of thing you know because if a guy gets out he doesn’t have a her he doesn’t have a job that makes him happy it it spirals out of control very fast you know you feel like you’re not you know because these guys are fighting for their country they’re fighting for freedom and when you get out you don’t have that same kind of feeling you feel kind of worthless and you know you need a support group that’s that’s there to to help.
Yeah this is a big business we have to make for our country to support the veterans especially as you see how many lost their arms, feet, legs and we need to help them. Do you have a dream what you gonna do just right after win?
I don’t know. Celebrate.
In which way?
I have no idea we’ll figure it out when we get there. I’m sure Independent Square is going to be full of everybody. So I’m sure there’s going to be a big party there.
When you have a rotation or a vacation right now, where are you going in Ukraine have you seen any any beautiful place in Ukraine?
Yeah mostly just being in Kyiv that’s where we’re kind of stationed out of until we we go where we’re supposed to go… um but yeah it’s Kyiv is a beautiful city it’s beautiful people it’s a great place to be. I really… I really do like it here.
Have you heard that Ukrainian women are the most beautiful in the world? What you say about this?
It’s true, it’s true.
Thank you. Tell me please about your nickname.
So my nickname is “Beef”. I didn’t choose it.
Who choose it?
The people when I first came here last year because they’re like you know “I hope you’re not a fat out of shape American” and I’m like “no” I’m like… well for the people that use the metric system 191 centimeters, but I’m 6,3 uh and like 240 pounds so they’re like “oh well you’re “Beef” from now on”. I was like “okay that’s”.
So they wrecked for your shape.
They’re like you’re a big guy, so we’re going to call you “Beef” I’m like okay cool.
Thank you very much, thank you for supporting us.
Thank you.
Do you have a think that we, I mean Ukrainians, are fighting with Russia like for the rest of the world?
Yes, I mean it’s there’s no other way about it Russia doesn’t you know they have gotten away with this kind of stuff too many times um and it’s you know if you look at the history of Ukraine this is not a one time thing for where 2014 happened to this. No they’ve caused Mass starvation after World War II they’ve murdered millions of Ukrainians mass starvation this has not been a one-time thing this has been Russia being a bully for you know Decades of Ukrainian.
Yeah, so let’s fight them. Thank you very much.
So, guys, you know, we have Kyiv Defenders, who help us with donations and do everything they can. If you can donate, it will go to a great cause. I know almost every one of them here. They do an amazing job. Accountability, everything goes to the soldiers, the guys on the front who are fighting. If you can donate anything, a dollar, any used vehicles, anything you have, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you, Alex, thank you for being with us.
This material was published as part of our cooperation with the NGO “Kyiv Defenders”.
This is a team of volunteers from Kyiv that provides assistance to the Ukrainian military and the population in hot spots.
You can support their activities here, or donate to a specific fundraiser.
