It started with him missing his flight. After that, his gear was lost somewhere between Little Rock and Warsaw. He finally got rejected after traveling thousands of miles to help Ukraine fight the Russians

.Cody Heard, a 29-year-old American soldier, was undeterred. A British and two Dutchmen were also headed to Kyiv the next day to join a military reserve unit.

In Lviv, Heard sat outside a hostel with three comrades, all bedraggled after days of travel, their packs scattered on the ground. “I've texted them. However, I have not heard back from them."

Thousands of foreigners have swooped into Ukraine in recent weeks to fight Russian forces.

Most are veterans. Not all.

They're all over the world, from the United States to Europe to Asia. They are conspicuous, with their military packs, bundles of gear, and self-assurance as they cross the border from Medyka, Poland, to Shehyni, Ukraine, and hang out on the streets and in restaurants in Lviv, 40 miles east of the Polish border.

The doors were opened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Russia invaded on Feb. 24. He invited foreigners to join his new "International Defense Legion of Ukraine," a force whose grandiose title harkened back to the venerable International Brigades that battled fascist forces in Spain during the 1930s.

To put it mildly, the Ukrainian incarnation has had a challenging start.

During the predawn hours of March 13, Russian cruise missiles struck a military base about 30 miles from Lviv that was used for both Ukrainian troops and foreign volunteers. Over 40 Ukrainians were killed, according to authorities.

Some survivors posted graphic videos of the devastation and said they barely escaped. However, no foreign recruits have been reported lost.

Russian paratroopers were coming, so the volunteers took up defensive positions nearby.

The experience caused many at the base to leave the country, according to volunteers and social media accounts. After his ordeal, Le travelled to Croatia to relax.

A faulty command structure and shoddy discipline have plagued foreign fighters here.

Some say they were sent to the front unprepared for battle.

According to the Ukrainian military, no comments have been made in response to this, nor have numbers regarding the number of foreigners enlisting, the number of foreigners leaving, the number of foreigners wounded or killed been disclosed.

Former Soviet republic Georgia confirms three of its citizens were killed fighting in the Ukraine against Russia.

The first point of contact was supposed to be Ukrainian embassies around the world. Most would-be fighters have, however, encountered unresponsive embassies, or simply decided to come to Ukraine without contacting them first. On online chat rooms and social media sites, volunteers pooled information about Poland and Ukraine, a country few had considered much before the invasion.

The embassy page in Oslo was down when I tried to access it. I heard it was a cyber attack," said a 26-year-old Norwegian volunteer who declined to give his name.

Looking for help on Facebook, he flew to Warsaw, but found no one to guide him to the border, so he got on a train that was going the wrong way. The refugee reached the Ukrainian border, but found it difficult to find lodging in a zone overrun with refugees and spent the night outside in the cold. Eventually he walked to the Ukraine side.

In addition to medics, search-and-rescue experts and others with specialized skills, volunteers also comprise the ranks.

Each expresses outrage at Russian abuses and admiration for the Ukrainian resistance.

Currently working at Amazon in Arkansas, he said he left the Army in 2020 after eight years of service.

There are many people who arrive with no relevant skills - just a deep desire to assist the Ukraine.

"I am available and prepared to serve," Jeff Trautmann, 50, a retired chemistry professor from Chicago, said as he waited outside the foreign legion "welcome" tent on a recent afternoon.

"I will fight for Ukraine." I will fight for Ukraine. They're good people."

It is likely that his lack of military experience will cause a problem for the Ukrainian officers who conduct initial checks at the border post. Most volunteers are rejected. A few others get some training. As soon as volunteers are deemed battle-ready, they are integrated into combat units.

Getting here has been a challenge for many. In Heard's case, his luggage was lost between Little Rock and Warsaw, including his body armor, helmet, and other gear, worth over $1,000.

He claims the legion turned him away at the border when he refused to sign a contract.

'I am here to help you', he said. "I am not signing a contract." Here's a month. Unfortunately, I must return to my job and family. My life is important to me."

Once they reached Kyiv, he and his three comrades hoped for better luck. Online celebrity at least one foreign fighter.

James Vasquez, 47, is a 47-year-old home building contractor from Connecticut who posts videos from the frontlines of war on Twitter.

In a tweet on March 24, he said his unit destroyed seven Russian tanks and had liberated a village occupied for a month by Russians who "terrorized the people and took their food."

It was a long day, baby, he wrote.

The media attention has helped raise almost $50,000 to purchase Kevlar helmets, rifle parts, uniforms, and other much-needed items.

While still at the Polish border, Vasquez tweeted that some volunteers were being barred entry to Ukraine for “turning on Ukrainian soldiers.”

Vasquez's U.S. passport was accepted at checkpoints.