From GMA/Yahoo:
“What we know about US service
members killed in Kabul airport attack”
Thirteen American troops were
among the nearly 200 people killed in an attack at the Kabul airport in
Afghanistan on Thursday. A detonation set off by an ISIS-K suicide bomber near
the airport's Abbey Gate amid evacuation efforts killed at least 170 Afghans,
including several children, as well as two Brits and a child of a British
citizen, according to Afghan and British officials. President Joe Biden called
the U.S. service members killed in the attack "heroes who have been
engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save the lives of others."
Those killed included 11 Marines,
as well as an Army soldier and a Navy medic, U.S. officials said. "Those
warriors who died gave their lives to save thousands of men, women and
children, Americans and Afghans alike," Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of
naval operations, said in a statement. "Their courage and selflessness
represent the highest ideals of America. We pay solemn tribute to their
sacrifice." The names of the service members are being released 24 hours
after next-of-kin notifications, though some of those killed have been
identified by family and officials. Here's what we know about them so far.
Navy Medic Max Soviak
Navy Fleet Marine Force Hospital
Corpsman Max Soviak, of Ohio, was "very proud" to serve his country,
his mother said in a statement to ABC News. "He was very passionate about
helping his fellow Americans and trying to get them home safely," Rachel
Soviak said. "There are no words to describe the pain our family is
feeling. There will forever be a hole in our hearts." The family is
praying for the troops to arrive home safely, she said. Max Soviak was a 2017
graduate of Edison High School in Milan, Ohio. School leaders remembered him as
"full of life in everything he did." "Max was a good student who
was active in sports and other activities throughout his school career,"
Superintendent Thomas Roth said in a statement. "He was well respected and
liked by everyone who knew him."
Marine David Espinoza
Marine David Espinoza was a
native of Laredo, Texas, according to Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who released
a statement confirming his death. "Mr. Espinoza embodied the values of
America: grit, dedication, service, and valor," Cuellar said. "When
he joined the military after high school, he did so with the intention of
protecting our nation and demonstrating his selfless acts of service." Espinoza
graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Laredo in 2019 and is survived
by his brother, mother and stepfather, Cuellar's office said.
Marine Rylee McCollum
Marine Rylee McCollum, of
Bondurant, Wyoming, was among the service members killed, Wyoming Gov. Mark
Gordon confirmed. "I'm devastated to learn Wyoming lost one of our own in
yesterday's terrorist attack in Kabul," Gordon said on Twitter. "Our
thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Rylee McCollum of
Bondurant."
Marine Kareem Nikoui
Marine Kareem Nikoui was among
those killed in the attack, ABC News has confirmed. Nikoui "always wanted
to be a Marine," his father, Steve Nikoui, a carpenter in California, told
the Daily Beast. "He was devoted -- he was going to make a career out of
this, and he wanted to go," Nikoui told the outlet. "No hesitation
for him to be called to duty."
Marine Hunter Lopez
Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez was the
son of two members of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in Southern
California -- Capt. Herman Lopez and Deputy Alicia Lopez -- the department
said. The 22-year-old planned on "following his parents' footsteps"
and becoming a deputy himself upon returning home from his deployment, Sheriff
Chad Bianco said in a Facebook post announcing his death. As a teen, Lopez was
a Riverside Sheriff's Explorer Scout with the Palm Desert Station. After
graduating from La Quinta High School, he joined the Marine Corps in September
2017, Bianco said. "Like his parents who serve our community, being a
Marine to Hunter wasn't a job; it was a calling," the Riverside Sheriff's
Association said in a statement. "He loved his family, and as we grieve
for Hunter and his fellow Marines taken from us too soon, there are simply no
words to express how deeply he will be missed." His family is requesting
all donations be made to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation
in their name.
^ These are a few of the brave
American Soldiers that were killed at the Kabul Airport. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/know-us-members-killed-kabul-222216817.html
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