Grieving mom Misty Gossett said in an interview on September 14 that she remembered the exact time when she received the call that her son Joshua Jones had died in the war in Ukraine. Gossett said the call came at 3:15 p.m. on August 23.
The closure is still hard to come by for Gossett, who, after 22 days, is still waiting for her son's remains to be returned to the United States. She is the first member of her family to break her silence about her son's death. She spoke to NBC News about the emotional toll of waiting for Jones' body to be repatriated back to the U.S.
From her home in Memphis, Tennessee, Gossett said that bringing Jones' remains back to his home country would be a step toward closure. She added that a Ukrainian memorial done for Jones by his comrades was touching, but the United States was his son's home.
Jones traveled to Ukraine in March to join the fight against Russia
Jones traveled on March 30 to Ukraine, more than a month after Russian forces invaded the country. He told his mom the day before his 24th birthday that he would travel to Ukraine, saying that he was not trying to hurt her but had to go.
Gossett said her family has no connection to the war-torn country, but her son was a born soldier. Jones served three years in the U.S. Army, and he decided to join the fight in Ukraine with a group of friends he made in the military, according to Newsweek.
Gossett said she thinks they had just built this passion for going and helping people that needed help. She explained that they personally have no ties to Ukraine in their family whatsoever, and it was just their son who wanted to go somewhere to help people.
Many non-Ukrainians have joined the 'Foreign Legion'
Jones was not alone in that line of thinking, as many non-Ukrainians have traveled to Ukraine in hopes of helping its defenders fight off the invading Russian army. The Armed Forces of Ukraine had even set up a dedicated Foreign Legion to organize the influx of former soldiers from across the globe who have joined the fight in their country.
Jones was not the only American combatant to have died there, as the Department of State has previously confirmed the deaths of Luke Lucyszyn and Bryan Young in Ukraine in July.
Two other American veterans, Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alexander John-Robert Drueke, were captured by Russian troops, according to CNN. Marine veteran Grady Kurpasi had also been missing since June.
Gossett said she knows they are not the only family trying to get the same resolution. She noted that is all they want, adding they don't have a dog in this fight other than to get their baby home.
