Merrill native travels to Washington, D.C., to accept Ukrainian medal awarded posthumously to son

By Tina L. Scott

MMC Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last month, Merrill native John Peters traveled to Washington, D.C., to accept a military award from Ukraine recognizing the sacrifice of Andrew Peters, who was killed in action in Ukraine on Feb. 16, 2023.

Andrew is the son of John and Heather Peters, who both graduated from Merrill High School. Heather was unable to attend the ceremony.

Andrew died while fighting on the front lines in defense of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, as a volunteer with the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine (also known as Ukraine’s International Legion). He was 28 years old.

The award ceremony was held Aug. 29, 2024, in Washington, D.C., a date that is significant to Ukrainians. Aug. 29 was the “National Memorial Day of Defenders of Ukraine,” a day John said is Ukraine’s equivalent to Memorial Day in the United States.

The Peters initially learned about the award ceremony when Colonel Maksym Zubenko with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C. called Heather.

“We both knew Col. Zubenko since he was one of the two Colonels from the Ukrainian Embassy who hand delivered Andrew’s remains to our home,” John said.

Soon after, they received an official invitation letter from the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, he said.

Reacting to the news

“We were both overjoyed and ecstatic by the news that Andrew was finally being properly recognized by the Ukrainian government for his service and selfless sacrifice in helping to defend the people of Ukraine,” John said. “We had waited nearly a year and a half for this and had inquired numerous times about the status of any Ukrainian military awards Andrew was entitled to.”

Being a U.S. Army veteran (1988-1997, 1991 Persian Gulf War) himself, the honors were of particular significance to John.

A 2012 graduate of Marshfield High School, Andrew had followed in his father’s footsteps, joining the U.S. Army immediately after graduation, leaving for basic training just four days before his 18th birthday, and had served as an infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division from 2012 to 2016, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2014, and was honorably discharged in 2016.

Andrew had then joined the International Legion in late Nov. 2022, after months of discernment following the Feb. 24, 2022, Russian invasion of Ukraine, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that had begun in 2014.

Andrew said it was his calling, and he volunteered, joining many other veterans from the U.S. and other countries who felt personally moved to help the Ukrainian people and traveled there to fight, at their own initiative and personal expense. He arrived ready to fight with his own body armor and tactical gear. Andrew spoke both Russian and Ukrainian and was a skilled marksman, so he was particularly valuable to the Legion and to the defense of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s International Legion was created by the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to recruit veteran soldiers to assist in the country’s military defense and fight for global security.

Andrew awarded State Honors, “Order for Courage, III Class”

“Unfortunately, the process of approving awards in Ukraine takes time,” John said. “While we were frustrated by how long it took to receive Andrew’s award, we don’t hold anything against the Ukrainian government. Every military and government agency in Ukraine is simply overwhelmed with the war going on, so it’s difficult to award soldiers (living and dead) in a timely manner.”

“On behalf of the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian government, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to you and your family for the loss of your beloved son Andrew Peters,” Markarova said in her letter. “His sacrifice, made in the defense of Ukraine’s freedom and democracy against the Russian aggressor, will forever be remembered with the highest regard and gratitude by the Ukrainian nation.”

“Your son’s courage, dedication, and selflessness have been a beacon of hope and strength for us all,” she wrote. “He stood with us in our darkest hours, embodying the values of liberty and justice that unite our peoples. We are profoundly grateful for his service and the extraordinary bravery he demonstrated on the battlefield. His commitment to the cause of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty is a testament to the enduring bond between our nations and our shared commitment to defending human dignity and freedom.”

“In recognition of your son’s heroism and his invaluable contribution to our fight for freedom, it is my honor to invite you and your family members to a special event dedicated to the National Memorial Day of Defenders of Ukraine who died in the struggle for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. During this solemn occasion, we will also hold a Ceremony to present the State Honors of Ukraine to your son. This will be a moment to commemorate his extraordinary valor and to express our deepest respect and gratitude for his sacrifice,” Markarova said.

Andrew was awarded State Honors, “Order for Courage, III Class.” This is a State Award that is issued by the President of Ukraine and typically takes more time for the approval process to play out, John said. “The award is issued for: ‘Individual courage and heroism while rescuing people or valued materials while endangering one’s own life,’” he said.

Attending the award ceremony

Andrew’s mother, Heather, was unable to attend the ceremony due to her work schedule; however, John traveled to Washington D.C., to the Ukraine House to attend the ceremony on Aug. 29, 2024, and accept the medal on Andrew’s behalf.

“We were fortunate in that the Romulus T. Weatherman Foundation was kind enough to pay for the air travel and hotel stay for all the family members attending the ceremony (there were a total of seven families attending),” John said. “The foundation was also instrumental in coordinating the awards ceremony with the Ukrainian Embassy.”

“I’ll admit that I had some mixed emotions about attending the event,” he said. “I knew that the ceremony would be very emotional for me and the other family members. However, I knew that I had to attend since we had waited such a long time for Andrew to finally receive the proper recognition he deserved.”

In her letter, Markarova described the event as an opportunity to “come together to remember and honor all those who have given their lives in the name of freedom and independence,” and that is exactly what happened for John and the other families in attendance.

The award ceremony, “was very emotional with nearly everyone having tears in their eyes,” John said. “Each family member was given the posthumous award for their son’s sacrifice by the Ukrainian Ambassador.”

“After the award ceremony I asked to have my picture taken with Ambassador Markarova,” he said. “After the picture was taken, I gave the ambassador one of Andrew’s spare U.S. Army dog tags as a token of my appreciation. I thanked her for allowing Andrew the honor and privilege of serving in the Ukrainian Army. I told her that I couldn’t think of a more noble and honorable cause to give one’s life for.”

John said Ambassador Markarova was visibly moved by the gesture, as was he.

Seeing a little bit of Andrew

“During the ceremony we had the honor of hearing a wounded Ukrainian soldier speak briefly,” John said. “Andriy Smolensky was severely wounded while fighting on the front lines. He was blinded in both eyes and lost both arms. He is currently receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.”

“Listening to Andriy speak and hearing some of his stories was truly heartbreaking,” he said. “Later that evening, after the award ceremony, all the families gathered for dinner at our hotel.”

At the dinner, John said he had the honor of being seated at the same table with Andriy.

“Listening to Andriy speak at dinner had the same emotional effect as the award ceremony. I think I did more crying than eating that evening,” he said.

“Some of the mothers of fallen soldiers in attendance went out of their way to talk to and assist Andriy at dinner,” John said. “I think in some way they all saw their own fallen sons in Andriy.”

“To be honest, I saw a little bit of Andrew in Andriy, as well,” he said. “Once I returned home from Washington, D.C., I was telling my wife about Andriy and what an inspiration he was. I’m not ashamed to admit that I broke down crying a couple of times speaking about Andriy.”

Coping with Andrew’s death

In the 19-plus months since Andrew’s death, many tears have been shed remembering the brave young man who volunteered, like so many soldiers over the course of many years, to fight for a cause he believed in, though the frontlines of battle took him away from family and friends to the other side of the world.

For Andrew’s family, most of those tears have been shed behind closed doors, as they put on a brave front to face the rest of the world, reserving their grief for a private time and place and reminding themselves that Andrew’s memory lives on, in their hearts and in the hearts of his comrades still fighting in Ukraine.

John said he and Heather have been coping “as well as can be expected.”

“Heather has taken Andrew’s service dog, Pepper, with her to school every day, which gives her some comfort, since Andrew was so close to Pepper,” John said. “She’s also been very active with Patriot K9’s of Wisconsin, which trains service dogs for veterans.”

Patriot K9’s trained Pepper and worked closely with Andrew, and the staff there remember and miss Andrew, as well.

“I must admit that I’ve struggled at times dealing with Andrew’s death,” John confided. “Nearly every single day I battle the urge to go over to Ukraine and join their International Legion to avenge Andrew’s death.”

With his own military background, it’s a natural urge. Yet John knows, “I can’t put Heather and my older son, Jordan, through something like that.”

So ... “I’ve decided to let my wallet do the fighting for me instead,” John said. “Since Andrew’s death, we’ve donated thousands of dollars to Andrew’s buddies still serving on the front lines in Ukraine.”

“We’ve helped them purchase vehicles for their rapid reaction force, high-end drones with thermal imaging, drone jamming equipment, and assorted military equipment to help these guys fight and survive on the battlefield,” he said.

In their own way, John and Heather Peters have “adopted” some of Andrew’s comrades and are helping, trying to protect them as Andrew did, trying to ensure their ongoing safety as the war in defense of Ukraine continues to rage on.

“Our goal is to continue financially supporting these brave men until this awful and senseless war is finally over,” John and Heather said.

They hope their efforts will spare other families from having to go through the heartache they’ve endured losing Andrew and will eventually succeed in liberating the Ukrainian people and restoring them to their homeland.