View Full Version : Former US Marine Killed Fighting in Ukraine
First American killed in battle supposedly:
Former US Marine Killed Fighting in Ukraine
WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Marine was killed fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia, his relatives told news outlets in what's the first known death of a U.S. citizen fighting in Ukraine.
Rebecca Cabrera told CNN her son, Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed Monday while working for a military contracting company that sent him to Ukraine.
Cabrera said her son was working as a corrections officer in Tennessee and had signed up to work with the private military contractor shortly before fighting began in Ukraine in late February. She told CNN he agreed to go to 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,” she said.
Cabrera said her son's body has not been found.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/04/29/relatives-former-us-marine-killed-fighting-ukraine.html
I saw that.
What in Hades was he thinking??
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I heard about that yesterday. Sounds like he left behind a wife and a 7 month-old baby. That hits home.
On the less glamorous side, I've heard he had a bad conduct discharge from the Corps, and was working for a PMC getting paid a fair amount for being there. Makes him less of a heroic freedom fighter, and more of a mercenary or at best a security guard. Nothing against either mercenaries or security guards, but the bad conduct discharge puts him in a negative light for me.
eightmillimeter
04-30-22, 12:29
I heard about that yesterday. Sounds like he left behind a wife and a 7 month-old baby. That hits home.
On the less glamorous side, I've heard he had a bad conduct discharge from the Corps, and was working for a PMC getting paid a fair amount for being there. Makes him less of a heroic freedom fighter, and more of a mercenary or at best a security guard. Nothing against either mercenaries or security guards, but the bad conduct discharge puts him in a negative light for me.
Probably got discharged for being anti-woke or refused a vax, don’t be so quick
LowSpeed_HighDrag
04-30-22, 13:12
Probably got discharged for being anti-woke or refused a vax, don’t be so quick
Lol. Marine's have been getting discharged for centuries for being pieces of shit, don't be so quick.
Probably got discharged for being anti-woke or refused a vax, don’t be so quick
And would that result in a bad conduct discharge? When I was in, guys getting kicked out of the Army for drug use got an "other than honorable" discharge, not a bad conduct/dishonorable. Does anyone know what those being separated for not getting the vax were getting as their discharge?
Fighting for the ukraine, no. A sad and unfortunate situation, but not my problem. Most likely the individual was paid for services rendered, aware of risk, and pursued the option. Unfortunate only for his family and friends.
I heard about that yesterday. Sounds like he left behind a wife and a 7 month-old baby. That hits home.
On the less glamorous side, I've heard he had a bad conduct discharge from the Corps, and was working for a PMC getting paid a fair amount for being there. Makes him less of a heroic freedom fighter, and more of a mercenary or at best a security guard. Nothing against either mercenaries or security guards, but the bad conduct discharge puts him in a negative light for me.
Story reads he was a corrections officer until the fighting started and then he decided to PMC. I don't think anyone here is qualified to state his true motivations for doing so. At 22 most people are motivated by all kinds of things from money to "Damn I was a Marine once...I gotta do something with myself that makes a difference."
Also until somebody has the details regarding the nature of his discharge, we probably shouldn't speculate.
Story reads he was a corrections officer until the fighting started and then he decided to PMC. I don't think anyone here is qualified to state his true motivations for doing so. At 22 most people are motivated by all kinds of things from money to "Damn I was a Marine once...I gotta do something with myself that makes a difference."
Also until somebody has the details regarding the nature of his discharge, we probably shouldn't speculate.
https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/relatives-former-us-marine-killed-while-fighting-in-ukraine/
"While in the Marines, Cancel served as a rifleman and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was given a bad conduct discharge after he was convicted of violating a lawful general order, Marine Corps spokesperson Maj. Jim Stenger said.
He had no war zone deployments, Stenger said. No other details on the bad conduct conviction were provided."
Story reads he was a corrections officer until the fighting started and then he decided to PMC. I don't think anyone here is qualified to state his true motivations for doing so. At 22 most people are motivated by all kinds of things from money to "Damn I was a Marine once...I gotta do something with myself that makes a difference."
Also until somebody has the details regarding the nature of his discharge, we probably shouldn't speculate.
If doing the PMC thing, who is the paying client? Ukrainian gubment hiring mercs? The whole thing reads odd, but need more details.
The Dumb Gun Collector
05-01-22, 18:03
I mean I’m always sad for somebody’s family but you know being a mercenary is dangerous
The Dumb Gun Collector
05-01-22, 18:03
I mean I’m always sad for somebody’s family but you know being a mercenary is dangerous
BoringGuy45
05-01-22, 19:57
https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/relatives-former-us-marine-killed-while-fighting-in-ukraine/
"While in the Marines, Cancel served as a rifleman and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was given a bad conduct discharge after he was convicted of violating a lawful general order, Marine Corps spokesperson Maj. Jim Stenger said.
He had no war zone deployments, Stenger said. No other details on the bad conduct conviction were provided."
The movie made about him will have him as a hardened combat veteran who got the BCD because he was ordered to abandon wounded Marines behind in combat in Afghanistan, and he refused to leave them as a wave of Taliban fighters closed in. Or because he found some incriminating evidence of war crimes that went all the way up to Trump and they kicked him out to cover it up.
If doing the PMC thing, who is the paying client? Ukrainian gubment hiring mercs? The whole thing reads odd, but need more details.
Pretty close to it from what I’ve been told.
eightmillimeter
05-01-22, 22:10
Lol. Marine's have been getting discharged for centuries for being pieces of shit, don't be so quick.
And would that result in a bad conduct discharge? When I was in, guys getting kicked out of the Army for drug use got an "other than honorable" discharge, not a bad conduct/dishonorable. Does anyone know what those being separated for not getting the vax were getting as their discharge?
It was a joke (but given the current climate who knows).
I don’t care what his past was. He went. Maybe it was in his eyes his only way to make a good paycheck for what sounds like his young/new family. Maybe he had U family it ties. Maybe he’s just a bloodthirsty fool…
Doesn’t matter now though.
It was a joke (but given the current climate who knows).
I don’t care what his past was. He went. Maybe it was in his eyes his only way to make a good paycheck for what sounds like his young/new family. Maybe he had U family it ties. Maybe he’s just a bloodthirsty fool…
Doesn’t matter now though.
And maybe he was just a kid who thought he could outlive death. Regardless he was a Marine, which is more than a lot of you can say.
And maybe he was just a kid who thought he could outlive death. Regardless he was a Marine, which is more than a lot of you can say.
He wasn't a Marine. He lost any right to claim that when he did whatever caused him to receive a BCD. Calling him one dishonors every Marine that did their duty.
Andy
And maybe he was just a kid who thought he could outlive death. Regardless he was a Marine, which is more than a lot of you can say.
I don't discount that he went but using him as a poster child for the Corps belittles those that served honorably. Big Chicken Dinner's aren't given for minor infractions generally.
LowSpeed_HighDrag
05-02-22, 11:41
And maybe he was just a kid who thought he could outlive death. Regardless he was a Marine, which is more than a lot of you can say.
There’s a ton of us on this board that have earned and retained the title of a Marine. It’s a title that can absolutely be lost, just as this young man did.
And would that result in a bad conduct discharge? When I was in, guys getting kicked out of the Army for drug use got an "other than honorable" discharge, not a bad conduct/dishonorable. Does anyone know what those being separated for not getting the vax were getting as their discharge?
General discharge for the Army, I don’t know if that’s DOD wide or DA level decision with the Marines doing their own thing.
For us, that type of discharge is not easy to do so it takes something serious. Again, no idea in the Marines.
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If doing the PMC thing, who is the paying client?.
Not US DoS or DoD.
Not US DoS or DoD.
I would assume Uke's and like minded parties. It would also not surprise me if there are some sheep dipped types around in the mix, but he does not strike me as one of those.
I never said he was a poster child but I disagree. He graduated from a recruit depot and earned the title. I’ve known plenty of piece of s**t Marines even ones that got a honorable. Does anybody know why he was drummed out?
Averageman
05-03-22, 09:24
General discharge for the Army, I don’t know if that’s DOD wide or DA level decision with the Marines doing their own thing.
For us, that type of discharge is not easy to do so it takes something serious. Again, no idea in the Marines.
The Marine Corps is rather tough with re-enlistment codes and discharges.
I remember one former Marine wanting to go in to the Army. He had a good discharge, but his reenlistment code was messed up and he couldn't reenlist in the Army.
I don't understand it because that seems a little vindictive to me.
I did have a young trooper transfer from the USMC to the Army because he had a newborn special needs daughter and he couldn't deploy to Cuba at the time. That seemed rather nice, almost over the top.
The Marine Corps is rather tough with re-enlistment codes and discharges.
I remember one former Marine wanting to go in to the Army. He had a good discharge, but his reenlistment code was messed up and he couldn't reenlist in the Army.
I don't understand it because that seems a little vindictive to me.
I did have a young trooper transfer from the USMC to the Army because he had a newborn special needs daughter and he couldn't deploy to Cuba at the time. That seemed rather nice, almost over the top.
I have a former NCO that’s ETSing right now but I’m keeping his flag and bar to reenlistment in place so that it’s harder for him to try to come back in. That option was many months faster and more guaranteed than trying to chapter him out.
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Averageman
05-03-22, 12:29
I have a former NCO that’s ETSing right now but I’m keeping his flag and bar to reenlistment in place so that it’s harder for him to try to come back in. That option was many months faster and more guaranteed than trying to chapter him out.
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If you have to do it, you have to do it.
I had a guy fully "F" up and I didn't want to see him ever again. Essentially his lack of judgement caused a major accident resulting in a brain injury to one of his crew.
I had to keep him because he had 19 years and ten months in.
He got drunk and murdered his girl friend right before he retired, like two weeks before.
His Wife and kids were already in Puerto Rico waiting for Daddy to come home.
If you have to do it, you have to do it.
I had a guy fully "F" up and I didn't want to see him ever again. Essentially his lack of judgement caused a major accident resulting in a brain injury to one of his crew.
I had to keep him because he had 19 years and ten months in.
He got drunk and murdered his girl friend right before he retired, like two weeks before.
His Wife and kids were already in Puerto Rico waiting for Daddy to come home.
Holy ****. That’s bad. It’s always a difficult decision. In this case, the offenses were not so egregious to justify the full size ****ing. But he did enough that he should have to work hard to come back in. I won’t be upset when I don’t have to deal with this stuff anymore.
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Averageman
05-03-22, 13:05
Holy ****. That’s bad. It’s always a difficult decision. In this case, the offenses were not so egregious to justify the full size ****ing. But he did enough that he should have to work hard to come back in. I won’t be upset when I don’t have to deal with this stuff anymore.
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Let me explain to you how hard it was;
A Tank, going way to fast for the road conditions, flipped the Driver and Commander got out. The Loader filling the slot as gunner had the machine gun mount driven deep into his head.
I had to remove the mount to move him.
Let me explain to you how hard it was;
A Tank, going way to fast for the road conditions, flipped the Driver and Commander got out. The Loader filling the slot as gunner had the machine gun mount driven deep into his head.
I had to remove the mount to move him.
Yeah that wouldn’t have been a difficult decision, I meant with less serious stuff and general misconduct. It is extremely frustrating believing that there are grounds to absolutely destroy someone and it not happening though.
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ChattanoogaPhil
05-03-22, 18:32
Man leaves his wife and newborn to go fight in Ukraine. Life is full of choices. He made his. May he rest in peace.
BangBang77
05-03-22, 19:14
I hesitate to judge his past.
All of us, every single one of us, has a skeleton in our closet we'd rather not confront. We've all done stupid stuff, sinful stuff, or even downtight evil stuff.
Some of us have saddled up and signed up. Some of us have used that "drilled in" discipline to push us in the right direction. Some of us have ended up right back in the trailer park with an 8-ball or a bottle. Some of us screwed up while in and were less than honorable, while in and now out. Some of us have moved into LEO, EMS, Consultant, Engineering, manufacturing, lawyers, etc. Some of us are leaders in our community, our schools, or even this very forum. Some of cheat on our wives, our taxes, or our employer.
But most, if not all, have an honorable or worthy moment in our lives. Less than 1% of our population signed their name on the dotted line, no matter the motivation or the cause. And there's something to be said for that. You earn a blue cord, or jump wings, or the eagle, globe, and anchor, you earned it. Period. Yes, there are turds that do it. But they still earned it.
As far as his motivation, he decided to take a stand for something or someone. He decided to put himself in harms way, for pride, for money, or maybe just for redemption. Doesn't matter to me. He did it.
Maybe he was a crap Marine. Maybe he got shafted by the system. We could maybe this to death. He died on his feet looking the elephant in the eye. We would all be so lucky as to die with a rifle in our hands versus the indignity of having our depends changed by the hospice nurse.
Go fight for the most corrupt cou try ran by the deep state. Could not thi k of a better hill to die on
Less than 1% of our population signed their name on the dotted line, no matter the motivation or the cause.
Not arguing your points but wanted to point out that there are somewhere around 20 million veterans in the U.S.A. so way over 1%, maybe 6-7.
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