ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Alaskan and U.S. Army veteran died while fighting for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Shawn David McVey was mortally wounded in battle on Dec. 12, 2025 while serving as a foreign national with Ukraine Special Forces. Born and raised in Anchorage, McVey served two active-duty combat tours in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2014, and volunteered to fight in Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded in 2022.
“Shawn always wanted to be where he was needed most,” said McVey’s stepfather, Richard Kaplan. “He was selfless, and that was his spirit, that’s who he was, so that’s what he did.”…