As the heartbreaking scene in Ukraine continues to unfold and Russia continues their aggressive and senseless attacks, there’s been no shortage of heroic acts as the Ukrainian people fight to defend their country.
We’ve seen the woman with the sunflower seeds, the 13 people who reportedly died (however they now are saying they may be alive) defending Snake Island with a defiant “go fuck yourself” to a Russian gunship, and even a Ukrainian man picking up a Russian landmine with his bare hands to move it out of the road.
And of course, we can’t forget their fearless leader, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who passed on an offer from the United States to be evacuated to a safer location, telling U.S. officials that he was staying to fight and needed more ammunition, not a ride out of town.
And he’s getting what he asked for, as Richard Childress and AMMO Inc. are donating a million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.
I mean, I think this tweet pretty much sums it all up (and yes, I have been waiting to work it into a post somehow)…
And now, we have another American stepping up to help fight the Russian army and Vladimir Putin. After President Zelenskyy appealed to the world, asking “every friend of Ukraine” to come over and fight, he says they’ve received “thousands of requests” from people wanting to join the defense.
And one former paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, Paul, is stepping up. He moved to Ukraine about a year ago, and felt that he had a moral duty to stand with the people there rather than fleeing to come back to the U.S., saying:
“I thought it was my moral obligation to help the people of Ukraine in this crisis.”
And one of the biggest reasons is because the people of Ukraine and the fighting spirit they have reminds him of his home state of Texas:
“They [Ukrainians] are fiercely independent. We have cowboys. They have Cossacks.”
The U.S. State Department says that it is legal for an American to join another army as long as they aren’t hired while still in the United States.
Paul clarified that none of them are getting paid to fight, either… they just believe in freedom:
“We are not paid. We are not mercenaries. We are not in this for any kind of personal gain.”
While it’s not really all that surprising that a native Texan would be so willing to fight for the freedom and independence of a country that sorely needs the help right now, it’s absolutely heroic and heartwarming to see nonetheless.
And as Russia continues to bear down on them, our continued thoughts and prayers go out to Ukraine and everyone else involved in keeping their precious and vital freedom intact.
