Tributes pour in for service members killed in Kabul terror attack

The Laredo Police Department, which lowered the flags outside its headquarters in honor of Espinoza, thanked the fallen Marine for his service.

“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 police department wrote on Facebook Friday. “Semper Fi. Thank you for your service.”

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A Navy medic who was also killed Thursday was identified as Max Soviak of Berlin Heights, Ohio. Soviak graduated from Edison High School in 2017 and played on the football team, the local Sandusky Register 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,” Edison High School said in a statement, according to the New York Post.

The father of Kareem Nikoui, another young Marine who reportedly died in the blast, said his son “loved what he was doing” and that he “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,” Steve Nikoui told the Daily Beast. “No hesitation for him to be called to duty.”

“I haven’t gone to bed all night,” Nikoui said. “I’m still in shock. I haven’t been able to grasp everything that’s going on.”

Nikoui said he plans to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, which welcomes fallen service members, to pick up his son’s remains.

Marine Rylee McCollum of Bondurant, Wyoming, was also among those killed Thursday, and his wife is expecting a baby in three weeks, his sister said.

“He wanted to be a Marine his whole life and carried around his rifle in his diapers and cowboy boots,” said McCollum’s sister Roice, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. “He was determined to be in infantry. … He’s a tough, kind, loving kid who made an impact on everyone he met. His joke and wit brought so much joy.”

“Rylee wasted no time answering the call to serve our country, joining the Marines right out of high school,” Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso said in a statement Friday. “As Rylee’s dad once said, he was ‘full-blooded red, white and blue.’”

Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz of Wentzville, Missouri, also died Thursday in Kabul. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley said Friday he had spoken to Schmitz’s family.

“I promised his family that his service and his legacy will not be forgotten,” Hawley wrote on Twitter.

“Today please pray for Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz who paid the ultimate sacrifice yesterday serving our nation,” Missouri state Rep. Nick Schroer said in another post. “This young marine was from St. Charles County and is a true American hero. Keep his family in your prayers today.”

Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, hailed from the Coachella Valley in California. The son of two Riverside County Sheriff’s Department police officers, Lopez planned to join the department as a deputy at the end of his tour.

“He wanted to be a SWAT officer. He was a badass Marine and a great brother and an awesome son,” the family said.

“Before joining the Marine Corps, Hunter proudly served in our Sheriff’s Explorer Program,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco wrote in a Facebook post. “Our entire department is mourning this tragic loss. The Lopez family exemplifies the meaning of Service Above Self.”

Another southern California native, Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola of Rancho Cucamonga, died in Thursday’s blast. Merola was 20 years old.

“Dylan was a beloved son, brother, grandson, great grandson, nephew, a great friend, and a brave soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice at the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the evacuation,” friend Joseph Matsuoka wrote on a GoFundMe page seeking donations to pay for the fallen Marine’s funeral.

The fund stood at $23,840 as of Saturday afternoon, exceeding its goal of $15,000.

Cpl. Daegan Page of Omaha, Nebraska, was part of the 2nd Battalion Marine Regiment. Page, who was based at Camp Pendleton in California, died Thursday at age 23.

“Our hearts are broken, but we are thankful for the friends and family who are surrounding us during this time,” his family said. “Our thoughts and prayers are also with the other Marine and Navy families whose loved ones died alongside Daegan.”

“He enjoyed playing hockey for Omaha Westside in the Omaha Hockey Club and was a diehard Chicago Blackhawks fan,” the family continued. “He loved hunting and spending time outdoors with his dad, as well as being out on the water. He was also an animal lover with a soft spot in his heart for dogs.”

Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, worked as a maintenance technician with 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Stars and Stripes reported. Pictures of her holding an Afghan baby surfaced on social media in recent days.

“A few days after this photo was released, she gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Marine Capt. Karen Holliday wrote on Facebook.

A friend said Gee’s “last breath was taken doing what she loved—helping people—at [Hamid Karzai airport] in Afghanistan.

Marine Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover of Utah died at the age of 31 Thursday. His father said he was a “born leader.”

“He was helping those that are less fortunate, those that can’t help themselves, serving his country — the one thing that he’s always wanted to do,” his father told KSL-TV.

“He loved his country,” he added. “It meant more to him than anything else, besides his family.”

Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23, was the only soldier known to be killed in the blast outside Kabul airport. The East Tennessee native had completed Psychological Operations training, was hoping to go on to serve in Washington, D.C., and loved helping his wife, Alena, tend her garden, his stepmother told local Knoxville NBC-affiliate WBIR.

“Our teammate died not only serving our nation, but helping to give others a life of freedom and opportunity,” Army 1st Special Forces Command wrote of Knauss on Twitter. “The sacrifices made by our soldiers and families over the past 20 years were not in vain, and our mission in Afghanistan is not yet over.”

“This is what true heroism looks like and Ryan’s sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett said. “The Knauss family is in my prayers.”

Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo of Lawrence, Massachusetts, died Thursday at the age of 25.

“We are heartbroken by the death of the servicemen and women due to the bombing in Kabul this week,” Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez said, according to Boston NBC-affiliate WBTS. “I and the city of Lawrence are particularly saddened that one of those brave souls was a daughter of our city.”

Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, of Logansport, Indiana, was identified among the 11 Marines who were killed Thursday. He was 22.

“May we never forget Corporal Sanchez’s name or his heroism to a grateful nation,” Indiana Rep. Jim Baird wrote on Twitter. “As the family grieves, I ask fellow Hoosiers to please join me in praying for his family during this incredibly difficult time.”

“This young man had not yet even turned 30 and still had his entire life ahead of him,” Logansport Mayor Chris Martin wrote on Facebook. “Any 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’s way to safeguard the lives of others.”

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U.S. Central Command head Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said Thursday the United States “will go after” the perpetrators of the attack, and President Joe Biden promised to hunt them down.

“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said in a Thursday speech from the White House.