A U.S. Army veteran has returned home to Mountlake Terrace after five and half months of being on the frontlines in Ukraine, where he was alongside Ukrainian soldiers fighting against the Russians. Carl Larson has learned to appreciate the little things in life after many close calls on the frontline. "I pulled this little concentrated piece of Russian evil out of the wall, this is shrapnel from the artillery shell that killed him and almost killed me and so I realized at that point how lucky I am," said Larson. Unfortunately, this isn't the first traumatic story he's told about losing a friend in combat. Larson served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2004, which included fighting in Iraq. He suited up again in early March, fighting against the Russians alongside soldiers in Ukraine before returning home in August. "It's only afterwards the adrenalin fades out and you realize 'Good lord I came awful close',” said Larson. “I had numerous close calls like that and I saw death up close and personal." So why did Larson fight in a war for another country halfway around the world? He believes it's about freedom and democracy. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/mountlake-terrace-veteran-returns-home-fighting-ukraine/281-9d48eaee-8c7a-49c9-9bde-ebee09cd3442