Who was Dane Patridge? Idaho army vet killed while fighting for Ukraine in Russian-controlled Donbas
DONBAS, UKRAINE: A former soldier of the United States Army from Idaho, Dane Patridge, died while fighting for Ukraine in Russian-occupied Donbas region. His family announced on Facebook on October 10 that Partridge was killed by wounds from shrapnel.
Dane's sister, Jenny Partridge Corry, sent an update to his Facebook page on October 9 informing his friends that he had been injured in Russian attack and was currently receiving life support. His scans revealed "brain damage and edema," along with significant damage to the spinal cord, brain stem and neck, according to a military doctor from Kyiv who spoke with the family. In a Facebook post, the physician informed the family that the findings were "not conducive to life." Jenny posted a second depressing update less than 48 hours later saying, “We have just been informed that Dane aka Bird has passed away while still being on life support.” As per his sister, he was "always good for a joke" and "true to his faith and spiritual convictions till his dying days."
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On Partridge’s death, a representative of the State Department stated, “We can confirm the recent death of a U.S.citizen in the Donbas region of Ukraine. We are in touch with the family and are providing all appropriate assistance. Out of respect for the family's privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”
According to pictures from his Facebook account, Dane was an ardent follower of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “He was a fine soldier who fought with valor and bravery on the battlefield. We have been told that he was known to be at the front of his team leading his men as he would never ask his men to do anything that he wasn't willing to do,” Jenny said. Dane Partridge's father, Dennis Partridge, shared a message a few days prior in which he claimed that his son had been hurt while "fighting for freedom" in Ukraine, as reported by Daily Mail.
“I have found it difficult to discuss the events of this last week, my son Dane who was fighting for freedom in Ukraine, was critically injured by a Russian tank round, and currently in a coma with a significant brain injury,” the father posted on Facebook. Having felt called to assist the people and the nation in their hour of need, Dane had gone to Ukraine in April. To raise money for a ticket and better combat gear, he posted a request to his social media friends earlier in the year. He claimed that he "felt a need to go" at the moment and was sure of his decision. “I've felt a need to go to Ukraine. This has been discussed with several people and I am confident in my decision to go. I am reaching out to see if I can get some support in getting over there,” Dane wrote in the post.
One of his friends paid him a heartfelt farewell on social media, saying that he had begged him not to go while the soldier had already made up his mind. “I wanted to tell him so badly not to go. He wasn’t Ukrainian, he didn’t have family from there, he was just a guy from Idaho. I wanted to tell him that his family, his friends, and his old battle buddies needed him here, safe,” Dane's friend said.
A social media post reveals that Dane traveled to Europe on April 25. He entered Germany and then proceeded to Poland and then Ukraine. On April 27, Dane published his last message, announcing that he had reached the Polish Embassy and would soon be moving into Ukraine. “Made it to the embassy, getting on a bus for the border. From this point on I will not likely be giving locations or actions for opsec reasons. I will let you all know I'm alive,” the veteran said. Opsec stands for operations security, thus he wouldn't reveal his location out of concern that people on the opposite side may hurt him or his team if they knew the precise information.