Joseph Hildebrand was a son, a brother, a father and a husband - but now he is being remembered as a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving overseas in Ukraine.
“Joseph was your first call if you get in trouble. He was your first call if you want to have a good time. He had an open door for everyone,” shared his brother, Mark Hildebrand.
A farmer from Herbert, Sask. Joseph was also a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces - serving two tours in Afghanistan.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Joseph was one of thousands who volunteered to fight for the besieged nation as a member of its foreign legion.
Tragically, Joseph was killed in action while trying to pull a comrade to safety on November 9, 2022 near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblask.
To honour his bravery, Hildebrand’s family was presented with the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada (UWVA) during a ceremony in Herbert on Sunday.
“I think we just really appreciate Joseph being recognized by the Ukrainian Congress. This is a pretty important event to make sure that his name, his legacy keeps on,” shared Mark.
“We’re proud of everybody who spoke here. We’re proud of everyone who showed up. It shows Joseph’s impact on the community.”
Support from the community was on full display, as close to 100 residents filled the gymnasium during the ceremony.
“It’s amazing the community support that we’ve got and have had through all of this,” shared Joseph’s younger brother, Luke.
“Even through difficult times, it’s nice to know the community has been supportive.”
Hildebrand is one of two Saskatchewan residents being honoured with the medal. The family of Bud Hardy received the medal during a ceremony in the town of Outlook in mid April.
Other recipients are scattered across the country including in Ontario, Manitoba and B.C.
“There are 13 Canadians who have passed away in Ukraine. We’re in the process of honoring all the families and visiting all the families across Canada,” UCC chairperson Taras Jackiw explained.
“These people have sacrificed their lives, and we would like to acknowledge that and thank them for their service.”
Elena Krueger, the president of Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan, highlighted the fact that in many cases, the medal recipients gave their lives despite having no direct connections to Ukraine.
“We want to honour that sacrifice. The fact that these are people who aren’t necessarily of Ukrainian descent is important because that means they too have the same values that Ukrainians do for democracy, for freedom and for independence,” Krueger explained.
“The fact that they are willing to volunteer and ultimately gives their lives. It’s our duty to pay tribute and honour them.”
Joseph’s brother Jacob said he takes great pride in Canadian volunteers who step up in a time of conflict.
“There’s been different people I’ve met, even in the oil patch, who had friends that were working with [Joseph] overseas. It’s amazing how tight knit that whole community is and how they know everybody,” he expressed.
“It shows how big, how wide range everybody’s willing to go to fight and willing to stand up for what’s right.”
