23-year-old American volunteer fighter Robert Pietrangelo killed defending Ukraine. PHOTO
23-year-old American volunteer fighter Robert Edward Pietrangelo, known as "Bobby," from Pennsylvania and a former U.S. Boy Scout, died fighting for Ukraine.
This was reported by Yurii Yuzych, Censor.NET reports.
Bobby aspired to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps like his older brother but was unable to pass the medical examination due to severe kidney disease. In 2022, he came to Ukraine. Initially, he delivered humanitarian aid, and last year officially joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He fought on several fronts and, despite suffering a severe concussion from a drone strike, refused to leave the battlefield: "I won’t go home until the war is over." In October 2024, he was wounded and awarded the Iron Cross medal for outstanding bravery.
He was killed in action near Pokrovsk on January 2 of this year.
"His mother, who came to Ukraine searching for her son, never found his body. On July 26, family, friends, scouts, and former Hetman Plast scout, now Metropolitan Borys Hudziak, held a memorial service for Bobby," Yuzich said.
