Calabash, NC – A North Carolina man’s friends and family are mourning his death after he was killed in Ukraine.
Kathryn and George Lucyszyn shared their memories of Luke, their 31-year-old son, with NBC News from their home in Calabash. Luke Lucyszyn is one of two US citizens killed recently in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Lucyszyn was half-Ukrainian and felt personally affected by the war. According to Kathryn, his desire to go there was focused on helping a country he cared about.
“He didn’t go there to be a hero,” Kathryn told NBC News. “He went there because he wanted to help people.”
The parents said they received a phone call around 4 a.m. on July 19 of Luke’s death. They believe Luke was knocked unconscious by artillery as three other foreign fighters tried to save him.
“He saw the war and felt they really needed help,” Kathryn said. “He said ‘Mom, I’m going,’ so he left. We tried to talk him out of it.”
Luke was the father of two children. He went to Ukraine in April and served as a medic.
After another rocket attack on the port city of Odessa, news came of the death of the Americans in the Donbass region. This comes just a day after Ukraine and Russia agreed on an agreement that allowed the safe passage of ships carrying Ukraine’s top export – grain.