{"id":693732,"date":"2021-08-28T15:06:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T19:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=693732"},"modified":"2021-08-28T15:06:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T19:06:17","slug":"meet-the-hero-u-s-military-members-killed-in-kabul-airport-attack-most-too-young-to-remember-9-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-hero-u-s-military-members-killed-in-kabul-airport-attack-most-too-young-to-remember-9-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet The Hero U.S. Military Members Killed In Kabul Airport Attack, Most Too Young To Remember 9\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmeet-the-hero-u-s-military-members-killed-in-kabul-airport-attack-most-too-young-to-remember-9-11%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=693732&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1234905863.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The Pentagon confirmed on Saturday the names of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in a suicide attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Thursday<\/p>\n<p>Most of the deceased had already been identified by local media outlets, but the Pentagon\u2019s confirmation makes the list official. Of the service members killed, 11 were men and two were women, and all but one was too young to remember the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a list of the heroes who died trying to evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees from Taliban rule:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Espinoza, 20, from Rio Bravo, Texas, last spoke to his mother, Elizabeth Holguin, on Wednesday \u2013 just one day before the suicide bombing that killed him. His final words to his mother were \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Holguin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2021\/08\/27\/us-service-members-killed-kabul-airport-names\/\">told<\/a> The Washington Post that Espinoza\u2019s dream had always been to join the Marine Corps. He enlisted right after he graduated in 2019 from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Laredo, Texas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was his calling and he died a hero,\u201d his mother told the Post. She also told the outlet that her heart has \u201ca David-sized hole nobody can fill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of those who were killed at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese heroes should never be forgotten,\u201d Abbott tweeted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sgt. Nicole Gee<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gee, 23, from Roseville, California, had become famous in the week before her death by being featured in several viral Instagram posts from the airport. In one post, Gee is holding an Afghan baby with a caption that read: \u201cI love my job.\u201d In another photo, she can be seen standing guard as Afghan refugees head toward a military aircraft preparing to leave the country. This one she captioned: \u201cEscorting evacuees onto the bird.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Capt. Karen Holliday announced that Gee was one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the airport suicide attack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe had a name. She was doing God\u2019s work\u2026..a warrior,\u201d Holliday wrote in a Facebook post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/theaters\/middle_east\/2021-08-27\/service-members-killed-identified-kabul-afghanistan-bombing-2691405.html\">according to Stripes<\/a>. \u201cSearching Afghan women and children trying to get out of country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Holliday also remarked on the photo of Gee leading Afghan refugees to the military plane, saying, \u201cA few days after this photo was released, she gave the ultimate sacrifice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gee was a maintenance technician who just recently had been promoted to sergeant.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hoover, 31, from Utah, graduated from high school in 2008, and was publicly honored by Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R)<\/p>\n<p>Hoover\u2019s father told the Post that his son was a \u201ctrue hero\u201d who \u201cdid what he loved doing, serving the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll be forever grateful for his sacrifice &amp; legacy. He spent his last moments serving our state and nation, and we\u2019ll never forget his unwavering devotion,\u201d Moore wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Cox also tweeted condolences for Hoover, writing that the staff sergeant \u201cserved valiantly as a Marine and died serving his fellow countrymen as well as America\u2019s allies in Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe honor his tremendous bravery and commitment to his country, even as we condemn the senseless violence that resulted in his death,\u201d Cox added. Cox also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of those who had been killed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Knauss, 23, from Knoxville, Tennessee dreamed of being in the military since at least the second grade, writing in his yearbook that he wanted \u201cto be a Marine,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbir.com\/article\/news\/national\/military-news\/family-gibbs-high-school-graduate-among-13-us-troops-killed-in-kabul-airport-attack\/51-ac76d66a-c6d3-46a6-ab07-f99596c5cf87\">according to WBIR<\/a>. He joined JROTC in high school and graduated in 2016, after which he joined the U.S. Army. Knauss was the only soldier to die during the Kabul airport attack.<\/p>\n<p>His grandfather <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wate.com\/news\/afghanistan\/u-s-marine-from-knoxville-killed-in-terrorist-attack-at-afghanistan-airport\/\">told<\/a> WATE that Knauss was a \u201cmotivated young man who loved his country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Post reported that Knauss\u2019 stepmother told the outlet her stepson had completed psychological operations training and was expecting to move to Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Knauss reportedly enjoyed working with his hands and helping his wife with her garden.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur teammate died not only serving our nation, but helping to give others a life of freedom and opportunity,\u201d the 1<sup>st<\/sup> Special Forces Command, to which Knauss was assigned, wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lopez, 22, of Riverside, California, was the son of two law enforcement agents in Southern California, the Post reported. His mother is a deputy sheriff and his father is a sheriff\u2019s captain, and Lopez reportedly planned to become a sheriff\u2019s deputy when his deployment ended.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunter was the victim of vicious evil and was killed because he wore a United States Marine uniform with love and pride,\u201d the Riverside Sheriffs\u2019 Association said in a statement. \u201cOur entire community feels the anguish, and we mourn the death of Hunter, who answered the call to serve, defend and protect our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike his parents who serve our community, being a Marine to Hunter wasn\u2019t a job; it was a calling,\u201d the association added.<\/p>\n<p>Lopez\u2019s uncle wrote on Facebook that his nephew \u201cknew since he was 11 what he wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery free moment was spent training and perfecting his craft. Hunter you did your job. Rest now,\u201d Lopez\u2019s uncle added.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, had been married for just six months when he was killed in Thursday\u2019s attack in Kabul. Just two months after his wedding in February, he was sent overseas for the first time as the newlyweds were already expecting their first child. Two weeks before the airport attack, McCollum had been transferred to Afghanistan to assist in the evacuation effort.<\/p>\n<p>McCollum\u2019s sister, Roice, told the Post that her brother had wanted to join the military since he was 2 years old.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe signed up the day he turned 18,\u201d she told the outlet. \u201cThat was his plan his whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Roice also said her family and McCollum\u2019s wife were devastated by his death but \u201cknew he was where he wanted to be: serving his country. And that brings a little bit of peace and comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McCollum had been a decorated wrestler in high school and joined the Marines after he graduated. He met his wife, Jiennah, in San Diego after he moved for boot camp.<\/p>\n<p>He had thought he would be home in time for his wife to give birth.<\/p>\n<p>McCollum\u2019s other sister, Cheyenne, told the Associated Press that her brother \u201cwanted to be a history teacher and a wrestling coach when he finished serving his country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a tough, kind, loving kid who made an impact on everyone he met. His joke and wit brought so much joy,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>The Casper Star Tribune reported that McCollum was working at one of the Kabul airport checkpoints when the explosion occurred.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Merola, 20, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, was the final name to be confirmed among those killed in Kabul. ABC 7 <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7news.com\/kareem-nikoui-norco-marine-killed-kabul-airport-suicide-attack-afghanistan\/10980769\/\">reported<\/a> that he had graduated from Los Osos High School and that students at the school honored him during Friday night\u2019s football game.<\/p>\n<p>NBC4 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbclosangeles.com\/news\/local\/three-u-s-marines-from-southern-california-among-american-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-suicide-bombing\/2681439\/\">reported<\/a> that Merola\u2019s mother confirmed his death on Friday evening. His uncle told the outlet that his nephew loved working behind the scenes in theater and being outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDylan loved doing stage set up and technical theater at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga. He was the kind of person who would always be there for his friends and just enjoyed hanging out with family for family cook nights. They would hike, fish, kayak and spend time just being together. He will be truly missed and always in our hearts,\u201d his uncle said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California, was described by his father as being \u201cdevoted\u201d and someone who wanted to \u201cmake a career\u201d out of serving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe really loved that [Marine Corps] family,\u201d Nikoui\u2019s father said of his son. \u201cHe was devoted \u2014 he was going to make a career out of this, and he wanted to go. No hesitation for him to be called to duty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His father added that Nikoui was stationed at Camp Pendleton, which meant he could easily visit his family on weekends. His mother, Shanna Cappell, wrote on Instagram that \u201cNo mother, no parent should ever have to hear that their child is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Post reported that Nikoui\u2019s father knew his son was killed as soon as he saw Marines walking up to his home via his cellphone screen linked to the doorbell camera. He knew his son was in Kabul and been watching the evacuation effort closely.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still in shock. I haven\u2019t been able to grasp everything that\u2019s going on,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/slain-marine-kareem-nikouis-dad-vents-anger-at-military-biden-after-kabul-airport-blasts\">told<\/a> the Daily Beast. \u201cHe was born the same year it started, and ended his life with the end of this war.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nikouli\u2019s father also blasted President Joe Biden for the situation in Kabul, telling Reuters he was \u201creally disappointed in the way that the president has handled this, even more so the way the military has handled it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rosario, 25, from Lawrence, Massachusetts, was proud of her Dominican roots and proud to serve in the U.S. military.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are heartbroken by the death of the service men and women due to the bombing in Kabul this week,\u201d Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez said in a statement about Rosario\u2019s death. He also told the Post that he had spoken to Rosario\u2019s family and they requested privacy and for her to \u201cbe recognized as the hero that she was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rosario\u2019s friends in and out of the Marine Corps posted messages of support for their fallen friend. Nastassia Hyatt, a former Marine who served with Rosario in Okinawa, Japan, called Rosario her \u201csoulmate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou brought me back to life. Back to life\u2026 back to life\u2026.\u201d Hyatt wrote on Facebook. \u201cI wish i could bring you back to life for just one last hug, one last smile, one last nap, one last meal\u2026 one last anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, loved to make people laugh. Kennedy Rickerd, a friend of Sanchez since elementary school, told the Post that he \u201cwas a light that was on 24\/7.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody loved him,\u201d Rickerd added.<\/p>\n<p>She shared a memory with the post of Sanchez and friends entering a singing competition in 5<sup>th<\/sup> grade, where they sang Beyonce\u2019s \u201cAll the Single Ladies\u201d and won.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of person Humberto was, always,\u201d Rickerd told the outlet. \u201cHe was constantly joking, constantly laughing, constantly trying to make people smile.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Logansport Mayor Chris Martin posted on Facebook Friday afternoon that Sanchez was one of those killed in Thursday\u2019s suicide attack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis young man had not yet even turned 30 and still had his entire life ahead of him,\u201d Martin wrote. \u201cAny plans he may have had for his post-military life were given in sacrifice due to the heart he exhibited in putting himself into harm\u2019s way to safeguard the lives of others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Schmitz, 20, of Wentzville, Missouri, also dreamed of being a Marine since he was young.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was something he always wanted to do, and I\u2019ve never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be,\u201d his father, Mark, told the Post.<\/p>\n<p>His father told KMOX that he learned of his son\u2019s death when he heard a knock at the door in the middle of the night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Marines came by last night at two-forty in the morning to give us the horrific news,\u201d Mark told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Mark also told the outlet that his son was on his first deployment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis life meant so much more. I\u2019m so incredibly devastated that I won\u2019t be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Soviak, 22, from Berlin Heights, Ohio, had planned to make the Navy his career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMax was a wonderful son who loved his family, his community, and was proud to serve in the U.S. Navy. He was excited about the opportunities the Navy would offer him,\u201d his family said in <a href=\"https:\/\/fox8.com\/news\/northeast-ohio-navy-medic-killed-in-afghanistan-terror-attacks\/\">a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe are incredibly proud of his service to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soviak graduated from Edison High School in 2017 and was a member of the school\u2019s state-champion wrestling team and football team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMax was a good student who was active in sports and other activities throughout his school career. He was well respected and liked by everyone who knew him. Max was full of life in everything he did,\u201d his high school said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>His parents told the Post that his last words to them were over video chat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Don\u2019t worry, mom, my guys got me; they won\u2019t let anything happen to me,\u2019\u201d his parents told the Post of his last words. \u201c \u2026 Today she realized that they all just went together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soviak was one of 12 children and the only sailor killed in the suicide attack.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Page, 23, from Omaha, Nebraska, loved animals and the Chicago Blackhawks. His family <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ketv.com\/article\/family-confirms-millard-south-grad-among-marines-killed-in-afghanistan-attack\/37418995\">said<\/a> he was looking forward to returning home after serving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo his younger siblings, he was their favorite jungle gym and to his friends, he was a genuinely happy guy that you could always count on,\u201d his family said. \u201cAfter finishing his enlistment, Daegan planned to come home and go to a local trade school, possibly to become a lineman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Page was a former Boy Scout who joined the Marines after graduating from Millard South High School. He was also \u201can avid hunter and outdoorsman,\u201d Stripes reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaegan always looked forward to coming home and hanging out with his family and many buddies in Nebraska,\u201d his family said in their statement.. \u201cDaegan\u2019s girlfriend Jessica, his mom, dad, step-mom, step-dad, 4 siblings, and grandparents are all mourning the loss of a great son, grandson, and brother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon confirmed on Saturday the names of the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in a suicide attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on ThursdayMost of the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-693732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=693732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693732\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=693732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=693732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=693732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}