CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Anastasia Huff called on courage for her homeland, Ukraine, where her cousin fights the Russian invasion on the front lines and her mom is a nurse.
"We do not let the tyrants dictate how the land is going to look," said Huff. "I have two homes that I equally deeply cherish."
While she calls Tennessee home, Anastasia was born in Ukraine and still has an apartment there, eighteen miles from the front lines.
The group came to rally outside of Fort Campbell to honor the six U.S. military volunteers who lost their lives fighting for Ukraine, to raise concern for children abducted by Russia, and to recognize Ukraine's right to fight for their freedom.
Mark Cary joined the rally from Nashville.
"I started going to Ukraine as a volunteer at the beginning of the war. I am leaving again next week; this will be my ninth trip," said Cary.
Mark Cary, a Marine Corps veteran and 23-year career Border Patrol officer, knows the state of Ukraine firsthand.
"The entire country is not destroyed; the entire country does get attacked almost every day," said Cary. "But the devastation on the front lines is like nothing I could have ever imagined."
In exactly a week, Mark leaves to continue the fight where he can.
"We gather supplies, we do evacuations, we help animals, and we are sponsoring an elder care center in Kharkiv," said Cary.
Before heading off, Mark shared a clear message, knowing what he had seen in Ukraine.
"I have a friend who is a soldier, and he came to me one time and told me that a lot of Ukrainians look to the United States as an example—one example—of the kind of country that they want to have. Freedom, democracy, rule of law, prosperity," said Cary. "I think that right now there is a big debate in this country about whether or not we still want to be that to the world. And my message is, we do, because if we don't, countries that don't believe in freedom and don't believe in the principles that made this country great will fill that void. There will be more things like what is happening in Ukraine: stealing children, raping women, and taking natural resources."
Cary left for his journey back to Ukraine, and the rally wrapped up with a final message.
"The cause of Ukraine is the cause of all who believe in justice, in freedom, and in the right of people to live without fear. Slava Ukraini."
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at (Kim.Rafferty@newschannel5.com).
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