OC Veteran, 28, Struck By Rocket In Ukraine: How To Help

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — An Orange County veteran who volunteered his time as a combat medic in Ukraine is in dire need of help after the vehicle he was sitting inside was hit by a rocket, his former colleague and friend said.

28-year-old Garden Grove veteran Giovanni Roman was in the country since last December volunteering as a combat medic alongside the Ukrainians, his friend Scott Caceres said. He survived the initial impact of the rocket, but lost his right eye and suffered other severe injuries, including critical head trauma, Caceres said.

A GoFundMe for Roman was started Tuesday with the intent of paying for the veteran's medical bills and ultimately bringing him back to the United States.

Caceras, a Santa Ana police officer, wrote on GoFundMe that he's known Roman for almost ten years and was his emergency contact while in Ukraine.

“I met Giovanni seven years ago and he convinced me to join the Marine Corps. We served in Japan together for a year,” Caceres told the Orange County Register.

Roman currently serves as an emergency room technician in Orange County, Caceras said, after serving in the military and being honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant.

Residents who wish to help get Roman safely back home are urged to visit the veteran's GoFundMe page.

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