War tourism is becoming a plague on the frontlines of Ukraine’s battle for liberty. In Kharkiv, more and more individuals and small groups are showing up with a few packages of food, or a GoPro, and are claiming the mantel of humanitarian or journalist. The reality is different, however, as oftentimes they are simply looking to get near the military action or grab a few pictures of the ample doomsday porn that pervades the city before disappearing to the next theatre of conflict.
Due to the increasing frequency of such occurrences, when the request came from Kyiv to escort a visiting American vet around Kharkiv Oblast, I was skeptical. The caller, a long-serving member of one of the nation’s military units, assured me this guest was different and cajoled me to at least meet the visiting veteran, as he was apparently a major supporter of the International Legion.
I’m glad I listened and made the acquaintance of John Morrison.
Despite the hyperbole that surrounds most of the war, Morrison, hiding behind a veneer of self-deprecation, and the ingrained humility of a southern gentleman, over delivered every day he was in Ukraine both for the International Legion and the nation as a whole.
(Please support my work by contributing through PayPal, Patreon, Cash App, or Venmo.)
The 4x4 he brought into Ukraine was a gently used Toyota Hilux, one that Morrison purchased in Poland with funds raised from his local community in southern Georgia. Before turning it over to the troops, we used it to deliver donated medical supplies to a hospital located less than 10 miles from the Russian border, and in doing so, the truck performed admirably as I navigated it through fresh attacks that marked our route north from Kharkiv.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Morrison was the epitome of cool, cracking jokes and pointing out the contrast between the beauty of the sunflower-laden landscape and massive plumes of smoke that rose up around us.
In between that sojourn, and another where we inspected the ruins amidst artillery shelling, Morrison checked in on several members of the Legion. Offering his personal experiences to them as a former military instructor, and listening to them as they discussed their own heroic exploits in pushing back against the terrorist invaders, his time spent among the different troops raised the spirits of all present.
John Morrison, the Army vet, lawyer, and former NASA engineering contractor from the United States had only a few days to spend in Kharkiv before departing back to Georgia in order to get back to running his bustling law practice, but in his short time at the front truly made his presence felt, a presence that is making a significant difference in the ongoing war against Putin’s genocidal war criminals.
(Please support my work by contributing through PayPal, Patreon, Cash App, or Venmo.)
Exclusive: US Army veteran raises over $20,000; purchases 4x4 Toyota for Ukraine's International Legion and delivers it straight to the frontlines of the war against Russian fascism