Local man joins rescue efforts
By Robert Cloud
Waupaca residents are following the daily Facebook updates of Michael Lalla, a volunteer helping Ukranians evacuate towns along the frontlines of the Russian invasion.
In a series of communications with the Waupaca County Post via Facebook Messenger, Lalla described the work he has been doing since he arrived in Ukraine on June 24.
“I’m volunteering for a small independent organization called Search and Rescue Kharkiv/Donbas,” he said. “We live 40 km from the eastern front. We specialize on the small, forgotten towns.”
Lalla said his organization delvers aid from a church organization into the towns before they are destroyed or overrun by Russian troops.
“The areas we go to are normally under active artillery fire,” Lalla said. “You hear the round overhead and see the impacts. Sometimes, they get close.”
On his Facebook page, Lalla shared a link to a YouTube video of a rescue mission that came under heavy fire. A team co-driver in the front passenger seat is using a cellphone to record the escape from the town of Zaitseve.
Viewers can see the landscape rushing past as the car speeds past exploding artillery shells, then one lands close enough to blow out the driver’s side window and shred the front passenger’s side tire.
Lalla described his own experience under fire.
“We have been working in Soledar for hours, knocking on gates and yelling evacuations,” he said. “I parked the van next to a home which was completely destroyed. The team was about 50 yards ahead of me on foot. The first shell landed around 10 yards to my left. It hit the home. My ears rang and it knocked me around a bit. The second shell landed 10 yards to my right and instantly started a house fire.”
Lalla said his friend yelled to move the van forward about 50 years to avoid the shelling.
“I asked why? He yelled, ‘Because there’s less shelling over here!’ After a short amount of time the adrenaline wore off; we continued working,” Lalla said.
Between Aug. 12-14, Lalla’s team evacuated 43 people from Soldedar.
Mission to Ukraine
Lalla said he decided to go to Ukraine in response to President Zelensky’s call for foreign fighters.
“Evil must be stopped,” Lalla said. “I’m an Army veteran. I trained with a buddy in Arkansas for a month before I left. Once I arrived in Ukraine, I found a group of like-minded individuals who were saving people. I figured saving people in this war was as important as killing them. There are a lot of soldiers, but not many are doing what we are doing.”
Lalla posted a photo of himself standing next to an older woman who is making a V for victory sign with her fingers.
“We met this woman and her husband as we were delivering aid less than 5 km from the frontline,” Lalla wrote. “She was sitting outside her home. As we pulled up, we asked if she would like to be evacuated. She said no. She’s a Nationalist, a proud Ukrainian. Her home and fruit trees have been completely destroyed by Russian shelling. They live in the basement. We gave them aid and they returned the gift with fresh vegetables, eggs and borscht. They bless us every time we leave.”
More recently, Lalla noted that the woman’s town is currently being contested.
“I fear I may not see them again,” he said.
Lalla compared Donbas to Wisconsin.
“The people just want to be left alone,” he said. “They work hard, live in small communities and want to grow their families. They are under constant stress right now. Most have been living under these conditions for the last eight years. What they don’t understand is that the Russians are now heading toward their homes. They have no news or knowledge of the danger they are in.”
Prior to leaving for Ukraine, Lalla worked at Dave’s Painting in Waupaca and as a ski lift operator at Nordic Mountain. He plans to return home to Weyauwega.
“But I don’t have a timeline. I plan on returning when my service is done here.” Lalla said. “I don’t know when that will be.”
Lalla said his organization is small, independent and relies on donations to continue rescuing people.
Donations can be made through FundRazR to SAR Kharkiv/Donbas EN at https://bit.ly/3QScXdx.