Loved ones honor New Jersey man killed helping civilians in Ukraine

BORDENTOWN, N.J. (CBS) -- A memorial was held Sunday for a New Jersey man who died while helping civilians in Ukraine. 

Pete Reed's hometown gathered in front of the veterans memorial in Bordentown, New Jersey, following his tragic death to honor his life and legacy. 

Reed's mother and brother were surrounded by those who shared heartfelt memories of him. 

"I hope they can feel some kind of pride for the man that Pete became and the part that they played in making him the man that he was," Greg Rosen, Reed's childhood friend, said.

"He just made you feel like his best friend, always," Nick Dekovitch, another childhood friend of Reed's, said.  

Reed was working for the humanitarian group, Global Outreach Doctors USA. According to the group, on Feb. 2 Reed was aiding in the evacuation of Ukrainian civilians when his medical vehicle was hit with a missile in eastern Ukraine. 

"He really was a true hero," Meghan McDonald, another friend of Reed's, said.  

The news left his childhood friends absolutely heartbroken. 

"The day went to a dead stop. Yeah, my heart dropped," Rosen said.  

Reed was a 33-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served two deployments in Afghanistan. 

In 2017, he founded the humanitarian nonprofit, Global Response Medicine. 

McDonald knew him since preschool and says he stepped away from GRM to take on a new mission in Ukraine. 

"We're here to help others and to continue to work together and help those in need and Pete did that," McDonald said.  

From the Middle East to Ukraine to right here in New Jersey, friends say Reed's impact was worldwide and they hope it inspires others to "Be like Pete." 

"We want to get a plaque to have somewhere in the city where he grew up so there's a place his family can visit," McDonald said.  

Toward the end of the ceremony, Reed's family was honored with an American flag in his memory. 

In:
• New Jersey
• Ukraine
• Burlington County