MACON, Ga. — A 48-year-old Perry man died last week after voluntarily fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Howard Jones says he will always remember his son Jeffrey Judd Jones as a caring person and an advocate for the less fortunate.
"He was determined to support the little guy," Jones said.
Jeffrey Judd Jones was a Maine native and a United States Army veteran, but he had lived in Perry for about six months.
Howard Jones' family adopted Jeffrey from foster care at the age of eight. He says Jeffrey had a rough childhood, but Jones believes this inspired Jeffery to serve others.
He says Jeffrey always had dreams of making a career out of joining the army.
"Unfortunately, that did not happen, so as he got older, I think it was always in his mind to serve in some way," Jones said.
Jeffrey joined the Airborne Division of the Army, Jones said, but he was discharged due to injury. Instead, he found interest in helping the people in Ukraine.
He went to the country in the spring of 2022 and served with the American Ukrainian Foundation.
"He helped the refugees crossing over from Ukraine into the Krakowi area of Poland," Jones said.
While there he also served with a medic team. He did this job for about three or four months but returned home after getting hurt.
"In his opinion, he didn't think he was working enough or directly enough to support the humanitarian efforts, and decided he was going to sign up for the army," he said.
On his second trip to Ukraine, he served with the foreign fighters group.
Jones says he was serving in Bakhmut when a mortar shell explosion hit Jeffrey. He was in a Ukrainian hospital for five days before succumbing to his injuries. Jones says Jeffrey's remains will be returned to the United States in September.
Jones says he doesn't expect to have a celebration of life ceremony until Summer 2024.