By Matt Stieb New York Magazine

Henry Hoeft, a 28-year-old former U.S. Army infantryman and steelworker from a small town outside Columbus, Ohio, was compelled earlier this month to leave his young son to fight in Ukraine, where his father’s family has its roots. After fundraising online and saying his good-byes, Hoeft packed up some of the combat gear he used sporadically in recent years as a member of the boogaloo boys — the extremist, anti-government militia that rose to notoriety in 2020 — and took the route that has become common for the thousands of ex-military types attracted to the newly established Ukrainian foreign legion. Posting about his journey on TikTok and Instagram, he flew to Poland, crossed the border around March 9 with fellow Ohio boogaloo alum Mike Dunn, and joined an outfit accepting combat volunteers from abroad.

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