In a heartwarming display of solidarity, US veterans Ron Wallace and Michael Edison have journeyed from the distant states of Wyoming and Alaska to the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine, bearing not just the emblematic symbols of their heritage—a cowboy hat, a vyshyvanka, and a kilt—but also a mission of support and friendship for a nation under siege.
Their mission in Ukraine is a two-pronged endeavor rooted in compassion and advocacy. Edison, a former cavalry commander, and Wallace, a former military musician, see themselves as self-funded ambassadors of goodwill, aiming to “come to Ukraine with hope and prayers for Ukraine and to show our support for the people,” as Edison puts it. Their week-long visit in early December 2023 was marked by the sounds of bagpipes filling the air of schools and hospitals, a soothing and supportive soundtrack for both the young and the brave soldiers recovering from battle.
“We stand by Ukraine… Cowboys and Cossacks, we ride together,” Edison told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 6 in Kyiv.”Our mission is twofold,” Edison says. “The first part is to come to Ukraine with hope and prayers for Ukraine, and to show our support for the people.”
The duo’s presence in the Ukrainian capital is a stark contrast to the chilling reality of war—a war that has left Kyiv scarred and its defenders wounded. Edison recounts the story of one such soldier, a man who, despite severe injuries, expressed his determination to return to the fight after receiving prosthetics.
They say they have seen many scars of Russia’s war in Kyiv, a city hundreds of kilometers from the front line, but have also noticed the “unbelievable” spirit of the Ukrainian people.
Edison recalls the time they went to see wounded Ukrainian soldiers at one of Kyiv’s hospitals. A badly injured man who refused to have his picture taken seized their attention.
“He was missing part of his leg. He was missing an arm. But he said he was going to get prosthetics, and he was going to go back out (to fight),” Edison says.
“He made me want to cry,” adds Wallace. “This could be any one of them. This is the spirit of Ukraine.”
Wallace, deeply moved by the soldier’s spirit, admits he was unprepared for the profound sense of helplessness he felt amid the resilience and suffering he witnessed.
Their activities in Kyiv also carried a somber note as they attended the funeral of a Ukrainian war hero, a defender of Mariupol.
“I played at the funeral of a war hero,” Wallace says.
“He was killed and tortured in Mariupol,” he goes on, adding that a soldier’s widow had invited him to perform for children whose fathers had been killed in the war.
“It just rips your heart,” Wallace says. “There was a little girl, and I think her father had recently been killed. She had a face of sadness, and she went through the motions, trying to play, but it was hard.”
This display of camaraderie comes at a time when US support for Ukraine is encountering obstacles. US funding is running out, and further aid is held up in Congress due to Republican opposition. Despite these setbacks, the commitment of individuals like Wallace and Edison shines through. “People from Wyoming and Alaska support Ukraine, and we want people to feel and know that we’re here,” Edison asserts.
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