From lawyer's office to kitchen: father of American soldier killed in Ukraine volunteers in Kharkiv

Edward Wilton, the father of a fallen volunteer who served in Ukraine's International Legion, has moved to Kharkiv to help civilians. Every day, he helps prepare hot meals for local residents, including hospital patients.

Source: Independence Avenue Media

Details: Edward Wilton worked as a lawyer in Florida for most of his adult life. However, after the death of his son, who served in the International Legion, he also came to help Ukraine.

In January 2026, Edward retired and moved to Kharkiv for good. Now he works at the Pekelna Kuhnya (Hell's Kitchen) charitable organisation alongside many other volunteers from around the world – the United Kingdom, Poland, Japan, Sweden and other countries.

Every day, they prepare more than 1,200 meals for local residents, most of which are delivered to the city's hospitals.

Quote from Edward: "I returned to help Ukraine and to help out what I think is my country too."

Details: Edward said he does everything he can to be useful, adding that he adores Kharkiv, loves Ukraine and its people, considers it an incredible place to live, and now calls it home.

He previously told Suspilne Ivano-Frankivsk that he has Ukrainian roots. He said his mother had always told him that she was Ukrainian, Polish or Austrian, and that this uncertainty prompted him to research his family history.

Eventually, Edward discovered that his great-grandfather came from Kosmach, a Hutsul village in the Prykarpattia region. In 1912-1913, his great-grandfather emigrated to the US. Wilton raised his son, Edward III, with an awareness of his Ukrainian heritage and in keeping with Ukrainian traditions.

Edward said his family had kept some traditions passed down through his mother's family, particularly celebrating Christmas and Easter. He added that they had talked a lot about their ancestors' heritage.

Edward III had always wanted to become a soldier, but he was unable to complete his military training in the US. However, he spent several months training to become an emergency medical technician.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Edward III travelled to Ukraine and joined the International Legion. He served in Company Bravo under the alias "Hans" and took part in complex combat operations, for which he was awarded the Order of Courage.

Edward said his son trained with various weapons, studied tactics with his unit and was very proficient with a grenade launcher. He added that Edward was one of the youngest in his unit and that his brothers-in-arms perhaps had more military experience than he did.

He said he heard nothing from his son about returning home until the war was over, as everything was connected to the war. His son had several opportunities to return home but refused, saying he had not yet earned that right. Edward added that his son believed he should do more than he was doing.

Edward said that his son was fascinated by Ukraine and did not want to return to the US.

Edward III died in April 2023 from a shrapnel wound. The 22-year-old soldier, together with his brothers-in-arms, came under artillery fire while moving out to positions in Luhansk Oblast.

Edward said his son really wanted to be in control of his own life. He recalled reading the Iliad with him when his son was a child, including the passage about Achilles, who had to choose between a long, uneventful life and a short, heroic one. Edward said his son had told him even then that he wanted a short, heroic life rather than a long, boring one. Edward added that this was exactly what had happened.

Now, a memorial plaque has been installed in honour of the fighter in Kosmach – the village that his father now calls home. After losing his son, Edward keeps the certificate presented to him for service.

Quote from Edward: "My son said he didn't mind dying, but he wanted to be remembered."

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