by HB Auld, Jr.

Thirteen military service members were killed in a suicide bomb blast at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday August 27, 2021. They were processing evacuees from the war-torn country to be airlifted out on US military aircraft when they were killed.

The 13 service members are:

US Navy Hospital Corpsman Maxton Soviak

US Army Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss

US Marine Corps Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page

US Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez

US Marine Corps Corporal Humberto Sanchez

US Marine Corps Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza

US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan Merola

US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz

US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem Mae’Lee Grant Nikoui

US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum

US Marine Corps Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo

US Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole Gee

US Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, Jr.

The 13 killed ranged in age from 20 to 31. Five were only 20 years old. One of those, US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, was to become a father less than a month from now. The bodies of these American heroes were transferred to Dover Air Force Base on August 30, 2021.

During the past 20 years the US has fought in Afghanistan, 2,461 service members have died in the service of their country. These 13 were the last to die in this conflict.

The Kabul Airport and the nation of Afghanistan was completely evacuated of all US military warriors on Monday, August 30, 2021. Hundreds of American citizens and Afghan allies were left behind when the American forces withdrew from the country.

God bless these American military heroes.

God bless America.

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