Manitoba family waits for return of son's body from Ukraine's front lines
CBC
Before Austin Lathlin-Bercier ever mentioned the word "Ukraine" to his parents, his mom Lucy Lathlin knew he wanted to go.
Days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February of 2022, Lathlin-Bercier called his parents from Portugal asking them to locate some personal documents and sell his belongings so they could send him money.
"We kept asking why and he wouldn't say," she said.
Two days later, Lathlin-Bercier phoned his parents again — this time to announce that he was joining the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, which recruits fighters from around the world.
"He made his choice and I couldn't stop him," Lucy Lathlin said.
"He wanted to make a difference … He never wanted to see people hurt."
The 25-year-old from Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba put his life on the line for a country he had no prior connection to — and died fighting an invading army seeking to break it.
Lathlin-Bercier was killed at age 25 this past autumn in combat with the Russians.
His family says his body has not yet been recovered. They're raising funds and waiting for word from the international brigade he joined.
Loved ones who spoke to CBC News described the 25-year-old as a caring, courageous man who was always willing to lend a hand or lift someone's spirits with a joke or two. His mother Lucy is now telling the story of his journey for the first time.
"It was like his duty," she said. "That's why he was here. This was his purpose, he told me."
Austin Lathlin-Bercier grew up the eldest of seven children in Opaskwayak Cree Nation, roughly 625 km northwest of Winnipeg.
His mother said he learned to help others while taking care of his youngest brother, Keenan, who is paraplegic.
Ever since he was a child, she said, Lathlin-Bercier was interested in the army.
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