“Life must be valued”: the story of Roman Wenger, a veteran who went through the war and returned to civilian life
War changes a person beyond recognition. Someone loses everything and plunges into pain, someone tries to find the strength to continue living, and some turn their own experience into a daily reminder: value every moment. This is exactly the story of Roman Wenger, a soldier who went through the trenches, injuries, the fight for life and returned home with a new understanding of the world.
Roman did not join the army out of compulsion. When the invasion began, he immediately joined the territorial defense, and later - the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I saw my friends going to serve. And I understood: I cannot stay away. This is my duty - to protect my relatives and my land.”
He had no special military training, only conscription in the past. But this did not become an obstacle. From the first day he became part of a special forces combat unit.
Roman was given the position of driver, but in reality he performed a much wider range of tasks. His battalion was engaged in assaults, mopping up, and defending positions.
“We did everything: from trenches to combat missions. In war, you are not just a driver — you are a soldier, and you have to be ready for anything,” he explains.
His service spanned the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions: Balakliya, Izyum, Bakhmut direction, Kreminna, Serebryansky forest.
In war, those who are nearby are of real value. For Roman, his comrades became not just friends — they became a second family. “There, the relationships are special. It’s not just friendship. It’s when you know: this person will cover your back at the cost of their own lives.”
After being wounded and treated, many of his comrades continued their service, some of whom remained at the front for three years without rotation. Roman admits: it is difficult and unfair, but these people are holding the defense today.
The most difficult stage of his history is the injury. More than half a year in hospitals and recovery. “When I came to, I realized: I could never wake up. It is terrible to lose life. It is one, and it must be lived with benefit.” After this realization, every new day became a gift for him.
Upon returning from the war, Roman felt a shock. “It was wild that there, at the front, people were dying, and here, in Kyiv, the subway was filled with people, everyone was communicating, working, as if nothing had happened,” he recalls. This contrast was painfully etched in his memory: for those who are at war, every day is a struggle for survival, and for many in the rear, life flows in its usual course.
His adaptation was not easy. It took months to feel the rhythm of peaceful life again, to accept the noisy streets, the usual working days, ordinary conversations about everyday things.
Returning to his family was a salvation. It was his family who helped him through the difficult adaptation. And the birth of his daughter gave him new meaning:
“It was my second birth. I realized that I had to live for her, for my family.”
The team where he returned to work welcomed him warmly. Colleagues were understanding, helped him avoid hard work, and supported him morally.
“Life can be lost in an instant. That’s why you have to live so that every day has meaning,” he emphasizes.
Today, his dream is simple and at the same time huge: for the war to end. “The main thing is that no more boys die. This is the first wish. And then we will live.”
Roman Wenger’s story is not just a memory of the war. It is a reminder of the value of life, that even after the darkest times, you can find light — in your family, in your loved ones, in a new sense of living.