I am a former US Marine who has gone to Ukraine to help aid in their fight for freedom in hopes to bring families back together and live a safe and happy life. Knowing what kind of dedication, it takes to win a war, I sold my warm and comfortable home in Cypress California, paid off all my debt, made my will, leaving everything to my Nephew and Nieces. I made a full commitment and flew to Poland and then bought a 2018 X3 BMW with the cash I made from selling my home, with run flats, four-wheel drive, turbo charged engine and a sunroof to see what’s above me... Oh and seat warmers. Then I drove roughly 17 hours all the way into Kyiv with good will, hope, US passport and Google translate to get me through multiple check points all on my own... well with Hedi my vehicle and Google my translator. As of now, 8 months in, I am an independent that has done multiple food and medical supply runs with church groups, NGO's and other independents to Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Kharkiv. I've also worked with former US military NGO's and independents for training the Ukraine army, multiple battalions (battalion is made up of 3 companies), companies, local defense groups and the Volunteer Army. Someone I see is training like a beast, I've gone out of my way to get to know them and find out what gear they needed and find an NGO that would donate it to them or buy it myself. One of these soldiers came to pick up the gear with his girlfriend of 6 years. I pushed him to marry her as life is too short. 2 days later, he did. This could be the Best thing or Worst thing that I’ve done in Ukraine.

I’ve also extracted multiple families out of Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kyiv to safer countries that provided refugee communities where each family is provided their own apartment, kids are able to attend school right away and the adults can get work visas to start working right away so that they do not need to depend on others and move forward in their lives in a productive and positive manner. I've gone to one orphanage to give candy to the kids and ended up playing with them for an hour and then crying for 2. I can handle the 9 hour one way drives and the shelling when going to the front line delivering food and medical supplies or going into cities that are being bombed hourly to extract families for a 5 day, 12 hour a day drives, or the daily shelling while we train troops close to the front line... but spending time with kids who have lost their family in a war torn country... it's better I donate to those who can handle that kind of wrong in this world. For those who are wondering, I am not joining any fighting force, Ukraine army, Foreign Legion or any of the smaller independent fighting groups. But at some point, if I must and those around me are being fired upon, I will use my Marine Corps training to defend the lives of others if need be. I have built relationships and worked with other evacuation teams to deliver food and medical supplies to the front line and bring out refugees that are trying to get out and find them safe and comfortable places to live and move their lives forward in a positive way. I am also training the army and finding or buying them much needed medicalsupplies and military gear. If my home I sold, was in New Port coast, I could probably fund all this myself for years, but since my home was in Cypress and not NPC, I can't fund it all. Please help with what you can to help the People and Families of Ukraine. I promise you, Your Help Will and Is Saving Lives.
No need to warn me about how President Putin treats POW's regardless of what country you are from. Or how using a weapon here will classify me as a mercenary. I appreciate your concerns. I do know the risks very well and think myself a fool daily. But if I can save a family... a kid... hopefully many families and many kids... then so be it! "EachMan's Death Diminishes Me, For I am Involved in Mankind, Therefore send not to know For Whom the Bell Tolls, It Tolls for SungMin Sam Kim.
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Thank you for your time and Semper Fi! Former US Marine Sergeant SungMin Kim