ˌɪlɪˈɪnski, hˌuː wʌzɐ jˈuː.ˈɛs. sˈɪɾɪzən, ɐtˈɛndᵻd wˈʊdbɛɹi fˈɔːɹɪst skˈuːl ɪn vɜːdʒˈɪniə ænd ðə ɹˈɔɪəl mˈɪlətˌɛɹi ɐkˈædəmi sˈændhɜːst, ˈɪŋɡlənd, bᵻfˌoːɹ dʒˈɔɪnɪŋ ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. mɚɹˈiːn kˈɔːɹ.
Ilyinsky, who was a U.S. citizen, attended Woodberry Forest School in Virginia and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England, before joining the U.S. Marine Corps.