Thirteen US soldiers, many in their early twenties, were on the list of victims in the terrible suicide attack on Kabul Airport in Afghanistan on Thursday, which also killed more than 160 Afghans.
The fallen US soldiers included eleven Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier. While the US Department of Defense has not officially released the names of the military personnel killed in the attack, Details of her life became known on Friday when family and friends were notified.
RYLEE McCOLLUM
Rylee McCollum, 20, was a Marine from Bondurant, Wyoming. He was married and his wife was expecting a baby in three weeks, his sister Cheyenne McCollum told the Associated Press.
“He was so excited to be a father and he was going to be a great father,” said McCollum.
This December 2019 photo courtesy of Regi Stone shows Eli Stone (left) and Rylee McCollum at Stone’s Jackson home for Christmas. (Photo: Associated Press)
Cheyenne McCollum said her brother “was a Marine before he knew he could be a Marine…. Sometimes it was with nothing underneath, just a T-shirt. “
According to Rylee McCollum’s sister, he wanted to become a history teacher and wrestling coach after his service.
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Regi Stone, the father of a friend of Rylee McCollum’s, described McCollum as “a good kid” who was resilient, smart, and brave. Stone shared a note his wife Kim sent to their son Eli Stone, who is also in the military and deployed elsewhere. In the note, Kim wrote that she remembered telling friends to walk the other way if they had to go in first, and that they both said, “If we die doing it, we die doing what we love.”
MAXTON SOVIAK
Maxton Soviak was one of 13 American soldiers killed in the attack by the Islamic State of Khosaran (ISIS-K).
In his last Instagram post, Maxton Soviak wrote: “It means kill or be killed, definitely try to be on the kill side.”
In an Instagram post, his sister Marilyn Soviak wrote: “I’ve never been one for politics and I’m not going to start now. Own drum, annoying, charming little brother was killed yesterday to save lives. He was a bloody paramedic. He was there to help people. And now he’s gone and my family will never be the same. There’s a big Maxton-sized hole that will never be filled. He was just a kid. We send children there to die. Children with families who have holes now, just like ours. I’m not one for praying but damn those kids over there could use some right now. The heart is broken and I don’t think they’ll ever fit right again. “
According to a statement from Edison High School, which he graduated from in 2017, Maxton Soviak was a good student who played sports and other activities throughout his school career. “” He was respected and liked by everyone who knew him. Max was full of life in everything he did. Our schools and the congregation mourn Max. He and his family are in all of our thoughts and prayers, ”says the school’s statement.
U.S. Senator Rob Portman also released a statement saying he and his wife Jane are heartbroken over Soviak’s death. “He was a hero who died helping his naval brothers save compatriots and our Afghan allies,” Portman said.
“We mourn his loss and pray for his family and friends.”
HUNTER LOPEZ
Hunter Lopez, 22, was a sheriff’s researcher for three years before joining the Marine Corps in September 2017, Associated Press quoted Sheriff Chad Bianco as saying.
Hunter Lopez’s parents work in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California.
U.S. Marine Hunter Lopez can be seen in this undated picture released by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. (Photo: REUTERS)
Chad Bianco said Hunter Lopez planned to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become an assistant to the Riverside County Sheriff’s after his service.
TAYLOR HOOVER
Staff Sgt.Taylor Hoover, of Utah, was with the Marines for 11 years and was remembered as a hero who died serving others, the Associated Press quoted his father Darin Hoover as saying.
“He’s a hero. He gave his life to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves and did what he loved to serve his country,” said Darin Hoover.
In it, Hoover said he had heard from Marines all day Friday saying they were grateful to have his son sergeant. “They look back at him and say they learned so much from him,” said Darin Hoover. “A bloody leader.”
His father said his son is also a best friend to his two sisters and loves his whole family. He had a girlfriend in California and was the guy who “lit a room” when he walked in, his father said.
Taylor Hoover’s friend Nate Thompson said they first met in Little League football when they were 10. They remained friends through high school where Hoover played lineman. He was too small for the position, but his heart and hard work more than made up for what he lacked in statutes, Thompson said.
“Whenever we had grades, family problems, or court problems, we would always call Taylor. He’s always level-headed, even when he’s struggling with himself, ”he said.
DEAGAN WILLIAM-TYELER PAGE
Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page served with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Said his family in a statement accessed by the Associated Press. He planned to attend a business school and possibly become a lineman after retiring, the statement said.
Raised in Red Oak, Iowa and the greater Omaha area, Page joined the Marines after graduating from Millard South High School.
“Daegan will always be remembered for its tough outer shell and huge heart,” the statement said. “Our hearts are broken, but we are grateful for the friends and family that surround us at this time. Our thoughts and prayers also go with the other Navy and Navy families whose relatives died with Daegan. “
(With contributions from the Associated Press)
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