Havertown veteran recalls terror fighting in Ukraine, speaks about missing American
"I was terrified," said Retired Army Major Patrick Creed, who spent 70 days fighting as a volunteer.
HAVERTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Retired Army Major Patrick Creed served in Iraq and is a Bronze Star recipient.
The veteran from Havertown, Delaware County laced up his combat boots again, but this time to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
"I was terrified," he said, describing what it was like on the ground.
He spent 70 days fighting as a volunteer with the Ukrainian Foreign Legion and says this was unlike anything he ever experienced.
Creed says they were supplied with aged weapons and didn't have nearly enough ammunition.
"We were given weapons from the Cold War that were as old as me and some of them older than us. We didn't have as much ammo as we needed, the Russians had more equipment. When the siren goes off, you're already in your uniform. You jump to your feet like a firefighter, pull your boots on, and your body armor, grab your bag and rifle and run. It's this meat grinder that's coming across the country with no regard for the human life or anything else," explained Creed.
Outgunned by the Russian forces at almost every turn, Creed described the horror he witnessed:
"You could hear artillery every night. Every day it was like a thunderstorm. If you stopped and listened, you could hear it. We saw cruise missiles, jets flying over at supersonic speeds. You could see the flashes."
The State Department has announced that three Americans are reported missing in Ukraine.
Videos are circulating on Russian media appearing to show two Americans who were fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, now in Russian custody. The third American, Creed says, was in his unit.
"Grady Kurpasi is a retired Marine major, saw him every day. I worked with him. He was another one of the smart guys who planned. I knew him as a very serious guy," said Creed.
The last time he saw Kurpasi was the day he went missing.
Creed fought alongside people from all over the world, aligned in one mission: to help the people of Ukraine and stop Russian troops.
"These people did nothing to start this war, they were attacked. When you see pictures of houses, none have insurance, nothing is going to get rebuilt. All those vehicles burned out, they are gone. All those people who lost everything, it's forever kind of gone," said Creed.
When asked if Creed would do it again, he said: "Absolutely. I'm embarrassed that I didn't do more. My team is still there fighting hard. I hope I can go back and figure out a way to help some more."
