Today we remember the life of Pete Reed, a humanitarian, paramedic and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was killed in a front-line explosion in Ukraine while working to rescue and treat people affected by the ongoing war. Pete was 33 and had dedicated his life to helping others, even after leaving active duty in 2011. He was the sixth American killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly a year ago.
Pete joined the Marine Corps in 2007 and deployed twice to Afghanistan’s Helmand province. He left active duty as a corporal in 2011 and began his humanitarian career a month later when Hurricane Sandy struck his home state. He then went on to assist Kurdish forces in Iraq, and later co-founded Global Response Medicine with his wife, Alex Potter, a photojournalist he met in Mosul in 2016.
In January, Pete left for Ukraine on assignment with Global Outreach Doctors, a team of medical professionals who worked to rescue and treat people affected by famine and otherwise suffering as a result of the ongoing bloodshed. His team faced shelling, and he was killed in the attack.
Pete was an incredible person, one who was always pushing to achieve his and his wife’s dreams. He was incredibly supportive and believed nothing was impossible. He will be sorely missed by his friends, family, and the many people he helped throughout his life.
We must also remember the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since Russia’s invasion nearly a year ago. It is a conflict that has taken many lives, and we must continue to work to bring peace to the region.
Source: www.washingtonpost.com