One old soldier isn't fading away, still trying to help freedom fighters in Ukraine

“Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away.”

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, a World War II hero, used that phrase in his farewell address to the U.S. Congress more than 70 years ago.

But the comment doesn’t come within a country mile of describing one, old Nebraska soldier.

Tom Brewer, a native of Gordon and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, served six tours of duty in Afghanistan during his 36 years in the Army, earning a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

He served two terms in the Nebraska Legislature, famously riding a mule across his Sandhills district during his first campaign.

At 66, and a...