In memory of combat medic and commander Bohdan Vlasii (call sign “LIGO”)

In memory of combat medic and commander Bohdan Vlasii (call sign “LIGO”)

Ukrinform
“I have no regrets. I lived a dignified life,” he wrote in his will.

Bohdan was born in Ivano-Frankivsk. He started first grade under an experimental program that allowed children to complete two grades in one year.

Everyone was amazed by his stamina. From an early age, he never gave up until he finished what he started. He loved building models, puzzles, origami, and so on. As a teenager, he became fascinated with wooden miniatures and engraving on metal. When Bohdan got bored, he devised his models and was constantly looking for something new. His first wooden model was a miniature yacht, for which he made furniture for the cabin, and then there were many miniature weapons. He did everything before us, but we couldn't understand how he did it, recalls his mother, Olesia.

She says that almost all of his teachers at school told her that Bohdan would make a good doctor, but her son was in no hurry to choose a profession. While studying in high school, Bohdan was recommended to the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and there he became so fascinated with biology that he decided to pursue a profession in which “precision would be combined with biology.” Therefore, at the age of 16, he enrolled in the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University.

Everything seemed to be going well back then. Bohdan was eager to learn, could stand for more than five hours during operations alongside surgeons, and his student notes resembled works of art to his friends.

“His notes had wonderful drawings. Bohdan enjoyed studying. He especially liked to sit with his books at night, because he still had time to work during the day,” adds Olesia.

He had just over a year left before graduation when full-scale war broke out in the country. At first, Bohdan volunteered at a military hospital, and then he decided to go to the front. No one could persuade him to change his mind. His mother says that the dean of the faculty called Bohdan in for a talk twice to convince him to continue his studies.

“Bohdan showed great promise of becoming a surgeon. They told him about his talent and that he needed to finish his studies, but he just replied, ‘I'll come back and finish my studies,’” recalls the woman.

After the examination, Bohdan received a medical opinion stating that he could not serve in the army due to poor eyesight. His family breathed a sigh of relief, but the young man decided to have his vision corrected as soon as possible to achieve his goal.

"My son had a credo: to pursue his goal at any cost. He aimed to defend his country. After his third visit to the military registration office, he came home and said, “They're taking me as a combat medic.” He was amused then. He admitted that he had no doubts about this path and asked for only one thing — to be understood," says Olesia. 

At first, Bohdan underwent military training in the Lviv Region, and in February 2023, he sent his mother a message: “We left for Druzhkivka.”

- Bohdan was a combat medic on the frontline. Then he was appointed platoon sergeant, and a year later he wrote that he had been offered the position of commander... I knew that he was cooking there, repairing weapons, and working as a driver when the guys needed to be taken to the trenches with the necessary supplies," says the soldier's mother.

She recalls that her son asked her to send him engraving tools from home, and then sent her photos of his creations on the frontlines.

“He engraved mines, swords, and knives for the guys. Since childhood, he loved to give his creations as gifts. He was also organized and neat. I kept asking him how he managed to do all that in the trenches, and he replied, ‘Everything is neat here too,’” adds his mother.

Soon, Bohdan became the commander of a reconnaissance platoon. In one of his conversations with his family, he confessed, “I feel like a mother of 17 children.” He said that after graduating from medical university, he planned to get a military degree.

On the front lines, he was known by the call sign LIGO. Bohdan once shared that these letters had a special meaning for him, connected with his love. It was this love that inspired the young man to write poetry, which he showed only to his closest friends and family.

“My son's comrades told me that Bohdan had one more call sign at the front. For many of the guys, he was ‘Doc’ because he bandaged almost everyone after they were wounded, put together first aid kits, and pulled them out after concussions,” says Olesia.

She last spoke to her son in September 2024. At that time, Bohdan asked her to inquire with volunteers about an antenna to boost drone signals.

I informed my son that I would not seek volunteers but instead would announce a fundraiser. I called back to clarify the device's parameters. He replied that everything was “okay.” I also told him about my bad dreams and my assumptions about what they might mean. Bohdan simply replied that I was overthinking. It was around three o'clock, and then we found out that he had perished. It happened around five o'clock when a loitering munition hit the car my son was driving. Bohdan suffered fatal injuries, the woman says.

Bohdan Vlasii, commander of the reconnaissance platoon of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade Edelweiss, died on September 11, 2024, during a combat mission near the village of Sviato-Pokrovske in the Bakhmut direction. He was buried in the Alley of Heroes cemetery in Chukalivka near Ivano-Frankivsk. Bohdan was only 23 years old.

"This death was unexpected for me. We fought together. During the fighting, Bohdan rescued me and my brothers-in-arms. He was a strong-willed person who made conscious decisions. I have never seen anyone like him. He fulfilled his mission with dignity. Bohdan rarely thought about himself, but more about his comrades. Now our unit has lost its older brother," Bohdan's brother-in-arms, Illia Korniichuk, told Suspilne.

“You know, when Bohdan was leaving for the front, he joked, ‘Mom, I'll definitely come back,’ and he did... I think about him all the time, I feel his presence, I consult with him constantly,” admits Olesia.

She says that when Bohdan went to the front, he left his will at home. At first, his relatives told him that he would read these notes himself, but his loved ones had to open the posthumous letter.

“I have no regrets. I lived a dignified life. Believe me, it means nothing to me to give my life for the happiness of others. I fulfilled my dream. I am happy. So be happy yourselves,” Bohdan wrote in his will.

Sergeant Bohdan Vlasii was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, III degree. Among his awards are the Maine Intelligence Directorate awards and the “For Military Valor” award, as well as the title of “Honorary Citizen of Ivano-Frankivsk.” His mother, Olesia, brings all of her son's posthumous awards to his grave, where he meets with his son's friends and comrades.

Recently, a memorial plaque to Bohdan Vlasii, a sixth-year student and combat medic of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was unveiled on the facade of the main building of the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University.

Eternal glory to the Hero!

Photos from the family archive

Extended searchHide extended search
All topics
By period:
-
Share: