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2021-08-28 -Obits-
These are the US service members killed in the Kabul airport attack
[NYPost] The identities of the 13 US service members who were killed by an ISIS-K suicide bomber outside the Kabul airport while helping to oversee the evacuation of thousands of Americans and Afghan allies have begun to emerge.

The names of one Navy corpsman, seven Marines and one Army soldier killed in Thursday’s blast have been released, while the identities of an additional three Marines and one Army soldier have yet to be disclosed while the military works to inform their families.

“We continue to mourn the loss of these Marines and pray for their families. Our focus now is taking care of the families of those who were killed and caring for our injured,” Maj. Jim Stenger, a Marine Corps spokesperson, told The Post in an email.

Per protocol, the military does not release information on deceased service members until 24 hours after their family members have been notified, but relatives and local officials have already independently confirmed several of the deaths ahead of that timeline.

Here’s what we know about the US service members who were killed.

MAXTON SOVIAK, 22, NAVY
Soviak, a Navy hospital corpsman, hailed from Berlin Heights, Ohio, and graduated from Edison High School in Milan in 2017, the Sandusky Register reported.

A woman who identified herself as Soviak’s older sister and goes by Marilyn Soviak on Instagram, penned a heartbreaking post Friday that confirmed her brother’s death.

“I’ve never been one for politics and i’m not going to start now. What I will say is that my beautiful, intelligent, beat-to-the-sound of his own drum, annoying, charming baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives,” the sister wrote.

“[H]e was a f–king medic. there to help people. and now he is gone and my family will never be the same. there is a large Maxton sized hole that will never be filled,” she wrote alongside a slideshow of images showing the two as children.

“[H]e was just a kid. [W]e are sending kids over there to die. kids with families that now have holes just like ours.”

Soviak’s family later released a statement calling him a “wonderful son who loved his family, his community, and was proud to serve in the US Navy.”

“He was excited about the opportunities the Navy would offer him and planned to make the Navy a career,” the statement said.

“We are incredibly proud of his service to our country… Words cannot express how heartbroken we are with this news and we will miss Max tremendously.”

While in high school, Soviak played football and was on the honor roll, the outlet reported.

“Max 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,” the school said in a statement, adding that news of his death has brought “great sorrow.”

Soviak also previously worked as a lifeguard and a maintenance technician, the outlet reported.

KAREEM NIKOUI, 20, MARINES
According to The Times of Israel, in full Kareem Mae’lee Grant Nikoui, in case it comes up later.
Kareem Nikoui was from Norco, California. His father didn’t realize his son had been killed until a clutch of Marines showed up at his door, the Daily Beast reported.

“I haven’t gone to bed all night,” the heartbroken dad told the outlet.

“I’m still in shock. I haven’t been able to grasp everything that’s going on.”

He said his son “loved what he was doing” and “always wanted to be a Marine.”

“He really loved that [Marine Corps] family. He was devoted — he was going to make a career out of this, and he wanted to go. No hesitation for him to be called to duty,” the dad said.

Ahead of his deployment to Afghanistan, Kareem Nikoui was stationed nearby at Camp Pendleton and often visited home on the weekends, bringing along “10 or 15 other Marines” with him, the dad told the Daily Beast.

“My wife and I felt very honored that [since] these other boys weren’t around their homes, that we were able to provide some sort of family life for them,” he said.

The father criticized President Biden’s sloppy withdrawal from Afghanistan and said he didn’t expect his son to be in this situation.

“They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security,” Steve Nikoui said.

“I blame my own military leaders … Biden turned his back on him. That’s it.”

The day before Kareem Nikoui was killed, he sent a video to his dad that showed him talking with Afghan children and giving them candy at the Kabul airport.

“He was born the same year it started, and ended his life with the end of this war,” the dad said, referring to the war that started in 2001.

“I’m really disappointed in the way that the president has handled this, even more so the way the military has handled it. The commanders on the ground should have recognized this threat and addressed it.”

DAVID LEE ESPINOZA, 20, MARINES
Espinoza was from Laredo, Texas, according to the Laredo Police Department.

“Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the family of United States Fallen Marine, David L. Espinoza, as well as to his friends and fellow Marines,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of Espinoza.

“Semper Fi. Thank you for your service.”

Espinoza graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Laredo and lived in Rio Bravo his entire life, KGNS reported.

“Mr. Espinoza, a Laredo Marine killed in Afghanistan, embodied the values of America: grit, dedication, service, and valor. 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,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) wrote on Twitter.

“I mourn him and all the fallen heroes in Afghanistan. My heart goes out to the Espinoza family in this extremely difficult time. The brave never die. Mr. Espinoza is a hero.”

Espinoza leaves behind a brother, mother and stepfather, News 4 San Antonio reported.

RYLEE MCCOLLUM, 20, MARINES
McCollum, from Bondurant, Wyoming, was on his first deployment, had just gotten married, and was three weeks away from being a dad when he was killed in Thursday’s blast, according to the Casper Star Tribune.

“He wanted to be a Marine his whole life and carried around his rifle in his diapers and cowboy boots,” McCollum’s sister Roice McCollum told the outlet.

“He was determined to be in infantry … Rylee wanted to be a history teacher and a wrestling coach when he finished serving his country. He’s a tough, kind, loving kid who made an impact on everyone he met. His joke and wit brought so much joy.”

Rylee McCollum had just graduated from high school in 2019 and was manning an airport checkpoint when the bomb exploded, the outlet said.

“Saying that I am grateful for Rylee’s service to our country does not begin to encapsulate the grief and sadness I feel today as a mother and as an American,” Wyoming Schools Superintendent Jillian Balow told the outlet.

“My heart and prayers are with Rylee’s family, friends, and the entire Jackson community.”

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon tweeted about the death early Friday.

“I’m devastated to learn Wyoming lost one of our own in yesterday’s terrorist attack in Kabul,” Gordon wrote.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Rylee McCollum of Bondurant. Jennie and I, along with all of Wyoming and the entire country thank Rylee for his service.”

JARED SCHMITZ, 20, MARINES
Schmitz was a lance corporal from St. Charles County, Missouri, according to KMOX.

“His life meant so much more. I’m so incredibly devastated that I won’t be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming,” Schmitz’s father, Mark Schmitz, told the outlet.

The heartbroken dad said his son, who always dreamed of being a soldier, was on his first deployment and was sent to Afghanistan from Jordan. He was notified of his son’s death at about 2:40 a.m.

State Rep. Nick Schroer penned a Facebook post about the death.

“Today please pray for Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz who paid the ultimate sacrifice yesterday serving our nation,” Schroer wrote on Facebook.

“This young marine was from St. Charles County and is a true American hero. Keep his family in your prayers today. Thank you for your service young man! God Bless you and your family, Marine.”

HUNTER LOPEZ, 22, MARINE
Lopez was a Corporal who hailed from California and planned to follow in his parent’s footsteps and become a sheriff’s deputy once he was done with deployment, CBS Los Angeles reported.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Association released a statement on behalf of Lopez’s parents, Riverside Deputy Sheriff Alicia Lopez and Riverside Sheriff’s Captain Herman Lopez, the outlet reported.

“We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Hunter, who chose to follow a life of service, selflessness, courage and sacrifice, like his parents. Hunter was a Riverside Sheriff’s Explorer Scout with the Palm Desert Station from September 2014 to August 2017,” the statement said.

The RSA said Lopez was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines “who answered the call to serve, defend and protect our nation.”

“Hunter was the victim of vicious evil and was killed because he wore a United States [Marine] uniform with love and pride. Our entire community feels the anguish, and we mourn the death of Hunter,” the statement continued.

“Like his parents who serve our community, being a Marine to Hunter wasn’t a job; it was a calling. 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 — Semper Fi.”

The family asked for all donations to be made to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation.

DAEGAN PAGE, 23, MARINES
Marine Cpl. Daegan Page was a native of Omaha, Neb., who loved hockey and hunting and “will always be remembered for his tough outer shell and giant heart,” his family said Friday.

Page, who joined the Marines out of high school, served with the 2nd Regiment of the 1st Marine Regiment, a unit known as “The Professionals” based at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

“Daegan always looked forward to coming home and hanging out with his family and many buddies in Nebraska,” the family statement said. “To 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.”

Page hoped to go to trade school following the completion of his Marine service and is survived by his parents, step-parents, grandparents, four siblings and his girlfriend Jessica.

RYAN KNAUSS, 23, ARMY
The first US Army soldier identified as a victim of Thursday’s attack, Ryan Knauss was “a motivated young man who loved his country,” his grandfather said Friday.

Knauss, who hailed from Knoxville, Tenn., had just completed Psychology Operations training and was hoping to move to Washington, DC, his stepmother Linnae told WATE.

“He was a super-smart, hilarious young man,” Linnae Knauss told WATE of her stepson, who joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school. She added to WBIR that Ryan enjoyed building things with his hands and helping his wife Alena tend to her garden.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) tweeted Friday that Ryan “gave his life outside Hamid Karzai International Airport helping people he didn’t know get to safety. This is what true heroism looks like and Ryan’s sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Knauss family is in my prayers.”

Grandfather Wayne Knauss described Ryan as a devout Christian who attended religious schools through the eighth grade.

“He was a believer,” he said of his grandson, “so we will see him again in God’s heaven.”

DARIN TAYLOR HOOVER JR., 31, MARINES
Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover Jr., known as Taylor, was a former high school football player from Midvale, Utah who “lit up a room” when he entered, his father told The Washington Post.

“He was the most-loving, giving, understanding person you could ever meet,” the elder Darin Taylor told the paper. He added that since he was informed of his son’s death, he had received messages of condolences from other Marines who had Taylor as their sergeant.

“They look back on him and say that they’ve learned so much from him,” Hoover said. “One heck of a leader.”

Other family members paid tribute to Hoover on social media.

“Taylor spent his entire adult life as a Marine, serving,” one uncle, Jeremy Soto, wrote on Facebook. “Doing the hard things that most of us can’t do. He is a hero. Taylor is one of the 13 fallen in Afghanistan. We are wounded. We are bruised. We are angry. We are crushed … but we remain faithful.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ordered flags at all state facilities and public grounds to be flown at half-staff through sunset Monday to honor Taylor’s memory, as well as the other Kabul attack victims.

“We are devastated to hear of the passing of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, who served valiantly as a Marine and died serving his fellow countrymen as well as America’s allies in Afghanistan,” Cox said in a statement. “We honor his tremendous bravery and commitment to his country, even as we condemn the senseless violence that resulted in his death.”

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), whose district includes Midvale, tweeted that he was “devastated and heartbroken over the brave soldiers who lost their lives.

“But, I’m also angry,” Owens added. “Angry that this was avoidable and is the direct result of a feckless administration with no backbone.”

Hoover’s father told Fox 13 that his son “did what he loved, was leading his men and was with them to the end. He loved these United States and proved it by his service. We are so heartbroken and feel for the families of his fallen brothers as well. Our condolences go out to them in this trying time.”
Posted by trailing wife 2021-08-28 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top
 File under: Taliban/IEA 

#1 “They sent my son over there as a paper pusher and then had the Taliban outside providing security,” Steve Nikoui said.

“I blame my own military leaders … Biden turned his back on him. That’s it.”
Posted by Blackbeard Barnsmell6454 2021-08-28 00:50||   2021-08-28 00:50|| Front Page Top

#2 Bad thing is the POS responsible don't even know what the fuck is going on.
Posted by Chris 2021-08-28 01:01||   2021-08-28 01:01|| Front Page Top

#3 Beyond sad.
Posted by Besoeker 2021-08-28 02:09||   2021-08-28 02:09|| Front Page Top

#4 Infinitely grateful that our nation still produces such sterling young men.

Uncontrollably enraged that these brave young men were butchered due to the lies, incompetence and cowardice of a despicable shit.

Biden is a criminal.

Impeach.
Posted by Chunky McCoy9839 2021-08-28 09:37||   2021-08-28 09:37|| Front Page Top

#5 Pictures
Father of fallen Marine says 'chaotic' Kabul airport withdrawal was 'not gamed out' and the 13 US dead troops and 170 others were let down by poor planning: Pentagon kills ISIS-K planner in his car with Biden-ordered drone strike
Posted by Skidmark 2021-08-28 09:43||   2021-08-28 09:43|| Front Page Top

#6 

Nicole Gee (killed in attack) center standing holding an Afghan baby handed over the wall to the troops.
Posted by Ebbomoger Speaking for Boskone4589 2021-08-28 19:01||   2021-08-28 19:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Please pass this along to anyone who professes "(that which I do) is the most difficult job in the world."
Posted by Anomalous Sources 2021-08-28 21:35||   2021-08-28 21:35|| Front Page Top

#8 ^ #6 - FWIW, I grieve and will pray for her and our others lost in a compassionate effort these scum don't deserve
Posted by Frank G 2021-08-28 21:59||   2021-08-28 21:59|| Front Page Top










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