Wife of Marine killed in Ukraine ‘broken’ after ‘worst phone call of her life’ – World News

Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, left behind his wife Brittany and seven-month-old son Anthony when he moved to Ukraine to fight the Russians, where he was killed last Monday

The wife of a former US Marine has “completely fallen apart” after receiving a call saying her husband had been killed in Ukraine.

Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, left behind his wife Brittany and seven-month-old son Anthony when he voluntarily relocated to the war-torn country in March.

He was paid to fight with a private military company to “protect the innocent,” his family said.

He was killed last Monday and his body has yet to be recovered.

The next day Ms Cancel, 22, received “the worst phone call of her life” telling her: “Your husband fought bravely but unfortunately he didn’t make it.”

Mr. Cancel’s father, presumably also named Willy, started it a GoFundMe page to raise money for the young widow (also a former Marine) and her son as they face life without him.

“Since that phone call on April 26, her life has been completely out of whack and now she must figure out how to put it back together to figure out how to raise her son without his father or financial support,” he wrote in the Fundraiser. which has raised over $63,000 (£50,000) to date.

“As a family we try to be as supportive and there for each other as we can, but Brittany and Anthony will need more than we can provide.”

Of Mr Cancel’s son, the grieving father wrote: “He will grow up without a father, a father who was brave and selfless and whose life was lost needlessly.

“As he grows in the knowledge that his father died a hero, we know it won’t be easy. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no child should have to grow up without parents.”

Mr. Cancel was originally from Orange County, New York, his brother-in-law Devin Tietze Jr. said.

He said he went to Ukraine because he was “the guy who fights for what’s right regardless of the outcome”.

Mr. Cancel previously served as a rifleman in the Marines and was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the Marine Corps said Friday.

According to Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Jim Stenger, he had no war zone assignments and was discharged for misconduct after violating a lawful general order.

An official said following news of Mr Cancel’s death: “We reiterate that due to the active armed conflict and the segregation of US citizens in Ukraine by Russian government security officials and those US citizens in Ukraine should not travel to Ukraine should depart immediately when safe to do so, using commercial or other privately available ground transportation.”