If Michele couldn’t stop her son from going, at least she could try to help keep him safe. But how do you ask your kid not to do something that he feels deep down inside is the most intense and purposeful thing he’s ever done in his life?” “I’m the type of person who doesn’t even like people owning guns,” she said. The closest relative with military experience was her father, who served in the Korean War, but somehow landed a cushy role downhill skiing in the Alps for the Army. Meanwhile, Graham’s mom, Michele, often wondered what drew him to the Marines. She likely would have boarded that same plane to Poland had she not just given birth to a baby girl. His father was a Marine and his sister enlisted in the Navy at the same time that he joined the Marines. Graham - bright-eyed and silver-haired - and LeBlanc - tattooed and broad-shouldered - rambled east toward the conflict zones. “Go get some Russians,” they said, handing them a larger and sharper one. In Poland, a local businessman shuttled them five hours to the Ukrainian border, where agents at the checkpoint scoffed at their small survival knives. Both headed to Ukraine to fight, but ended up teaching Ukrainians the skills they learned in the military. The Reddit threads (and the Polish-Ukrainian border, for that matter) teem with people - both well-meaning and exhibitionist - who say they’re eager to help Ukraine but never act on those words.Īaran Leyland (left) and Trevor LeBlanc held a training on combat techniques. Where there is bravery and conviction, there is often also bravado and theater. The two exchanged messages before deciding they should meet in person to size each other up. “Never used Reddit before today but I’m looking for other veterans in the area to link up with,” he responded. LeBlanc lit up when he saw Graham’s post. His mom paced downstairs, feeling foolish for taking solace in her son’s civilian status when watching television pundits debate the role of American troops in the war.
Also unsettled by the invasion, he’d spent that weekend rummaging through the boxes in the attic of his childhood home, searching for the Marine fatigues he’d packed away after being discharged in 2018. In Marblehead, Trevor LeBlanc, a 28-year-old handyman, had also been scanning the forum. Former marine looking for company,” he wrote. “Looking to head over to Ukraine from Boston.