US Marine veteran dies fighting in Ukraine

He reportedly entered Ukraine on March 12 or 13 after having been flowin in to neighboring Poland.

According to Fox News, Cancel's now-widow, Brittany Cancel, confirmed to them early on Friday that Cancel died in battle, joining the ranks of many foreign nationals who have lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including a Fox News cameraman and a celebrated American filmmaker.

"My husband did die in Ukraine. He went there wanting to help people, he had always felt that that was his main mission in life," she told Fox Digital during an interview.

Cancel was working as a corrections officer but also had a contract with a private military personnel company. When the company put out a call for contractors willing to go to Ukraine, he told them he was willing to go.

Cancel's widow continued, "My husband was very brave and a hero did not expect to be a widow at 23 years old or for our son to be without a father. All I want is for him to come home, and to give him the proper burial he deserves."

"Prior to wanting to help the effort in Ukraine, he was a detention officer in Kentucky," Brittany Cancel went on. "He had dreams and aspirations of being a police officer or joining FDNY. Naturally when he found out about what was happening in Ukraine he was eager to volunteer."