A U.S. Army veteran was killed fighting in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson last week as the war between Russia and Ukraine reaches its ninth month.
Army Times first reported 21-year-old Trent Davis was killed on his first combat mission under the International Legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Nov. 8.
A representative of Ukraine’s International Legion told Davis’ parents that their son and another soldier were seriously injured in fighting near the southern city of Kherson. The representative told Davis’ parents that another member of his unit helped evacuate Davis to safety but that Davis diead shortly thereafter from his wounds while being evacuated to a field hospital.
Davis enlisted in the Army at the age of 17. Army spokesperson Madison Bonzo told Army Times that Davis served as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) specialist based out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Davis finished his enlistment as a private last December and had no deployments
Davis joined the International Legion earlier this year but had initially been assigned to a unit that refused to deploy the inexperienced U.S. Army veteran. This fall, Davis was able to transfer over to another International Legion unit that was willing to deploy him.
“He wanted to do his part to bring kids into a safer world, even if it could cause him to sacrifice his life,” Davis’ mother, Janie Broadbent, told Army Times. “He said Russians are pretty much bullies, and he just wanted to help people.”
Davis’ father, Christopher Davis, said his son “would look me dead in the eye and say I’m invincible. He had that young-man confidence. He believed it and he made me believe it.”
Christopher, who is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army and had combat experience, told Army Times, “I should have known better. The enemy gets a vote no matter what you plan.”
The younger Davis is one of at least ten Americans to die fighting in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Willy Joseph Cancel was killed while fighting in Ukraine in April.
Stephen Zabielski was killed while fighting in Ukraine in May.
Americans Luke “Skywalker” Lucyszyn and Bryan Young were also killed in Ukraine in July, along with a Canadian and Swedish citizen. They had all fought in the same team of foreign volunteer fighters for Ukraine.
Army veteran Joshua Jones was killed while fighting in Ukraine in August, CNN reported. His body was returned to the U.S. in October.
On Nov. 3 Coffee or Die reported Army veteran Paul Lee Kim was killed on Oct. 5, while fighting in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.
Earlier this month the Daily Mail reported Skyler James Greggs was also killed some time in October.
Army veteran Dane Partridge was also killed in Ukraine in October. He was critically injured by a Russian tank round and was placed on life-support but later died.
Timothy Griffin was killed earlier on in November, NBC reported.
At least two other U.S. citizens, who were non-combatants, have also been killed. On March 13, Russian forces reportedly fired on journalist Brent Renaud other journalists near Kyiv, killing Renaud and injuring others.
Jimmy Hill was killed in an artillery strike on March 17. He had reportedly been waiting in a bread line when he was killed.
