Nashville volunteer in Ukraine faces a gruesome choice

Good morning, friends. This is Tennessean storytelling columnist Brad Schmitt.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, I've thought many times about what the men in Ukraine are facing. The government there stopped men from leaving the country and forced them to join the military.

Unless they have three or more children, all Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60 must fight. Can you imagine, guys, one day working at your job, the next holding a rifle and trying to kill invading soldiers?

Then, there are volunteers like Nashville airline pilot Chris Tiller who traveled to Ukraine to help civilians under attack.

Tiller, 30, did so with no military training, no medical training, no combat experience of any kind.

While delivering food and medical supplies exactly one month ago, Tiller and other volunteers stopped to eat at a restaurant in Kharkiv.

BOOM! A Russian rocket destroyed a coffee stand next to the restaurant.

Ears ringing, Tiller and his colleagues rushed outside and saw five badly wounded civilians. What happened next took my breath away.

Check out that story and others below. And thank you for reading The Tennessean.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville volunteer in Ukraine faces gruesome choice