OUTLOOK - Will Hardy and his brother were like two peas in a pod. They were inseparable.
Growing up in Outlook, the pair were securely linked in whatever they did. Wherever Will was, there was usually his older brother 'Bud' (real name Winton), and vice versa. There was only a one-year age difference between the two, and in fact, they even shared the same birthday of May 11.
Sadly, that close connection between the two brothers was ripped apart on June 10 when Bud, serving as a combat medic on the Ukrainian front lines, was killed by a Russian drone strike.
A life in the military was something that Bud seemed destined for, even at an early age.
"Yeah, he was always interested in it," said Will, sitting down with this reporter at his Outlook home. "He was never actually a member of the Canadian Forces, but he was in Army Cadets all through his school years here in Outlook up until he aged out at 18. Then he was in Army Cadets in Saskatoon. He made it all the way to the top, the very, very top. He placed 3rd in all of Canada on some kind of knowledge test, and that earned him an all-expenses-paid trip to Germany, and so he spent time over in Germany as a kid, training with the German Forces. I've got all kinds of photos of all that, and they're pretty crazy to look at now."
Bud and Will were so linked that they even worked together at Rudy Agro just outside of town. Of course, that had to come to an end after Bud enlisted to head off to Ukraine in April of this year to aid in the war currently being fought with Russia. Will says the open invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling out to anyone who wanted to volunteer their efforts to join what's called the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, spoke to his brother almost instantly, and soon he was headed off.
Bud's military history helped add to the family lineage, Will explained, as there were previous members of the family who served.
"My grandfather Merle fought in World War II, and my dad David was a member of the Canadian Forces also," he said. "He was around when NATO got formed, and also spent some time in Germany himself. My dad was actually a 50-year member of the Royal Canadian Legion, and also a member of the Outlook branch. So it's a family history thing, I guess you could say."
Serving one's country is one thing, but it's difficult for Will to say what his brother liked the most about doing so, especially since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is more of a global battle over democracy.
"That's kind of a tough question," he said. "Bud went over there to fight for all of democracy. He didn't go there to serve Canada because Canada does not have an official capacity in the Ukraine. He went there to help innocent people that needed help. He saw what was happening, he spent a lot of time researching, and he saw the horrors that are happening over there, and so he decided that he wanted to do something about it."
Will describes his late sibling as a straight shooter who lived his life by the rules of society, knowing that they're there for a reason.
"I always knew that my brother was a very rules-driven kind of person," he said. "He liked order. He was always, 'Well, you can't do that; the rules say you have to do it THIS way'. He was very by-the-book in that way. I think that was something that he wanted in his life - rule and order. He always said to me, 'Laws are there for a reason'."
Bud's choice to pursue a military lifestyle years ago wasn't something that surprised Will, as it was something that he'd always talked about and as Will put it, "He always wanted to be an army guy."
Even knowing that this life was something that his brother always wanted, the unforgiving reality of it that hit home with the power of a locomotive came in June, when Bud was killed alongside another Canadian soldier. Will is aware of the circumstances surrounding his sibling's death, and though the details are grisly, he believes that Bud died a hero.
"I am aware of what happened," said Will. "There's a town called Staromaiorske, which is southeast of Zaporizhzhia. At the time, the Russians hadn't taken Staromaiorske entirely, so Bud was in an assault unit and they were attacking. That's when him and another Canadian got hit at the same time from an FPV drone strike. It's my understanding that Bud was helping this individual, but I'm going to go ahead and say that they were helping each other because in the end, they're brothers, and brothers are there to help each other. They both died heroes."
The reaction to what happened to Bud sent Will into a state of shock to the point where he's still reeling from the reality that he'll never see or talk to his brother again. He did everything in his power to try and convince his older sibling not to go over there, but in the end, Will saw that Bud was driven to do what he felt he needed to do.
"I was just shocked," he said. "Honestly, I didn't want him to go over there. I did everything I could to convince him to stay. I cried, I begged him not to go. But at the same time, after talking with my mom and everyone, it helped me understand that he's a grown man and he could make his own decisions. It was something he felt he had to do, and there was no stopping him. He had a plan in his head for over a year that he was going there, and he warned me in advance that he was going, but I didn't really believe him at the time."
The reality that comes with being in the military is one thing, but the point of view of assorted family members may be another. Will says that little by little, he saw that Bud's journey was starting to take very real shape with the arrival of things like a $3,000 helmet or $5,000 plates and bulletproof vesting. Though he was trying hard not to believe that Bud could be headed across the world, it eventually sunk in for Will.
"I didn't really prepare myself for it as far as mentally," he said. "I always knew there was the possibility, but I didn't think he'd ever quit drinking beer and cooking steaks out here on the fire. I didn't think that ANYONE would want to do that. Especially me. If I hear gunfire? I'm walking the other direction. But Bud was so utterly fearless, and it was just astonishing to me."
Now, in the immediate aftermath of Bud's passing, Will says the family is just hoping to gain back things like his personal belongings; a cell phone, his backpack, and Bud's Ukrainian-issued ID card. There's no real chance of bringing the soldier himself home due to the nature in which he was killed, but seeing his brother's belongings back home would help the family gain at least a sense of some closure.
There's a GoFundMe page that was launched last week by family friend Jeremy Derdall aimed at raising $15,000 towards a memorial service, as well as helping the Hardy family out right now; for example, Will says their home is without heat due to a busted system at the moment. Those who may be interested in contributing can do so by going to
Will says the family is struggling emotionally right now in the wake of Bud's death. Knowing the details of how his brother left this world has allowed him to put things into perspective, and he understands that unlike the other Canadian who died alongside Bud, there won't be a funeral service for Bud because there's no physical being left to mourn.
"Global Affairs Canada informed us very early on that the likelihood of bringing Bud back is next to none," he said. "Not only because he was hit with an FPV drone strike; I mean, those drones are meant to take out tanks and things like that. It's almost a question of what CAN be brought home. I do know that the other Canadian who was killed with Bud was brought home already. The Ukrainians paid for his cremation and flight home, and there was a service out in Hamilton. As for Bud, it's my understanding that at the time, there was so much going on with drones and they were taking on enemy fire and they were in retreat, that they didn't have the manpower to go around and gather Bud and his belongings up. That's what I was told from the head recruiter at the Ukrainian Legion. The likelihood of Bud being brought home is next to zero, and I understand that, but I think my mom is struggling with that. She's grieving in a different way. I think she's more worried about me than she is herself right now."
Knowing what his brother accomplished in his short life, as well as how it ended, has given Will something of a new perspective on life itself. Despite the pain and heartache associated with losing him, he's incredibly proud of what his brother accomplished. Hardy says that he almost feels like, in a way, Bud's spirit has carried on and may have even passed on some of his traits to him.
"Absolutely," said Will. "I feel that since Bud's been gone, I've taken on some of his personality traits. My brother was a very rational and logical thinker, whereas I have anxiety and I worried a lot about stuff. We were different that way, but now I feel like my anxiety has gone down. It's really hard to explain, but I just feel like I'm thinking more like how he used to think. I'm not sure if it's because I want to or that maybe a part of Bud is inside me, but I can't really explain it. I think it's a good thing."
