Ukraine ‘embracing’ Conn. veteran helping fight Russians, wife says
NORWALK — Just two days after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, James Vasquez knew he wanted to join the fight.
Vasquez, a 47-year-old home improvement contractor and veteran, left his Norwalk home this month to travel to war-torn Ukraine and fight alongside the country’s military.
“It’s in his DNA. He’s a soldier,” his wife, Tina Vasquez, said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. “He didn’t want to watch it at home. He asked me if he could go and I told him, ‘yes.’ ”
Vasquez announced his plans to go to Ukraine and fight during a rally outside Darien Town Hall earlier this month, according to a video posted on his nowviral Twitter account.
“I am leaving on the 14th to go and join the foreign legion to fight,” Vasquez told the crowd. He said he would travel to Ukraine from Poland where he planned to cross the border and join the fight.
Tina Vasquez said her husband, a former U.S. Army staff sergeant, plans to spend at least two months in the country. She noted that her husband has no ties to Ukraine, but is a firm believer in the country’s sovereignty.
“He’s going to fight the good fight and hopefully come home in one piece,” she said.
Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued an appeal for foreign fighters to help his besieged country fend off the Russian invasion.
The move almost immediately drew comparisons to the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, when foreign combatants flocked to Spain to fight for the Republican government against Francisco Franco.
Ukrainian officials say thousands of volunteers from the U.S. and other nations have inquired about fighting in the nation’s defense. However, American officials are discouraging U.S. citizens from traveling to Ukraine to fight.
James Vasquez has documented his experience on Twitter, posting videos from the aftermath of battles and offering updates about clashes with Russian forces. On March 17, he wrote that he planned to head to the front lines the following day.
“It’s midnight here, but I can’t sleep because I can’t wait to get in the [expletive] tomorrow,” he wrote in the post. “Every atrocity, every war crime, every innocent civilian being murdered on a day-to-day basis gets everyone here more motivated to fight.”
In one video that has since garnered nearly 3 million views, Vasquez, dressed in combat gear and carrying an AK-style rifle, posed in front of what appeared to be the burning remains of an armored vehicle.
“That’s a Russian tank — a Russian tank that was taken out,” he said in the video.
In a pair of videos posted Saturday, Vasquez showed off a .50 caliber machine gun and claimed he stole the destructive weapon from a tank with a pocket knife.
Tina Vasquez said her husband is fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers and is slowly learning their language.
Despite the language barrier, she said he has already established lifelong friendships with Ukrainian soldiers.
“They’re embracing him as an American soldier, and they’re just so grateful to have him there,” she said.
Tina Vasquez said she tries to stay in contact with her husband as much as possible. But due to conditions on the ground, she is not able to speak with him every day.
As Tina Vasquez waits for news from her husband, she has relied on family members, friends and strangers for support. She said several people have donated money to help pay for the travel expenses while others have helped keep her in good spirits.
“It’s been very stressful,” she said. “But for the most part, my attitude is pretty upbeat and I’m just looking forward to his safe return.”