Young dad-to-be was among 13 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan

By AMY BETH HANSON, TERRY WALLACE and AMY FORLITI, Associated Press

A young hubby with a kid connected the way. Another antheral who ever wanted to beryllium successful the military. A antheral who planned to go a sheriff’s lawman erstwhile his deployment ended. Heartwrenching details began emerging Friday astir immoderate of the 13 U.S. troops killed successful a horrific termination bombing astatine Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, which besides claimed the lives of much than 100 Afghans.

Eleven Marines, 1 Navy sailor and 1 Army worker were among the dead, portion 18 different U.S. work members were wounded successful Thursday’s bombing, which was blamed connected Afghanistan’s offshoot of the Islamic State group. The U.S. said it was the astir lethal time for American forces successful Afghanistan since 2011. The White House said President Joe Biden volition look for opportunities to grant the servicemembers who mislaid their lives, galore of whom were men successful their aboriginal 20s.

Here are details astir immoderate of the victims:

RYLEE McCOLLUM, 20

Rylee McCollum, a Marine and autochthonal of Bondurant, Wyoming, was joined and his woman is expecting a babe successful 3 weeks, his sister, Cheyenne McCollum, said.

“He was truthful excited to beryllium a dad, and helium was going to beryllium a large dad,” McColllum said. She said her member “was a Marine earlier helium knew helium was allowed to beryllium a Marine … He’d transportation astir his artifact firearm and deterioration his sister’s pinkish princess snowfall boots and he’d either beryllium hunting oregon helium was a Marine. Sometimes it would beryllium with thing connected underneath, conscionable a T-shirt.”

McColllum said her member wanted to beryllium a past teacher and a wrestling manager erstwhile helium completed his service. Another sister, Roice McColllum, told the Casper Star Tribune that her member was connected his archetypal deployment erstwhile the evacuation successful Afghanistan began.

“We privation to marque definite that radical cognize that these are the kids that are sacrificing themselves, and he’s got a household who loves him and a woman who loves him and a babe that he’ll ne'er get to meet,” Cheyenne McCollum said.

Regi Stone, the begetter of 1 of Rylee McCollum’s friends, described McCollum arsenic “a bully kid,” who was resilient, astute and courageous. Stone shared a enactment that his wife, Kim, sent to their lad Eli Stone, who is besides successful the subject and deployed elsewhere. In the note, Kim wrote that she remembered telling the friends to tally the different mode if they had to spell successful archetypal and that some of them said, “If we dice doing this, we dice doing what we love.”

JARED SCHMITZ, 20

Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz grew up successful the St. Louis country and was among a radical of Marines sent backmost to Afghanistan to assistance with evacuation efforts, his father, Mark Schmitz, told KMOX Radio.

Mark Schmitz said his lad ever wanted to beryllium a Marine. He said helium learned of his son’s decease erstwhile the Marines came to his location successful Wentzville, Missouri, astatine 2:40 a.m. Friday.

“This was thing helium ever wanted to do, and I ne'er seen a young antheral bid arsenic hard arsenic helium did to beryllium the champion worker helium could be,” Schmitz said of his son. “His beingness meant truthful overmuch more. I’m truthful incredibly devastated that I won’t beryllium capable to spot the antheral that helium was precise rapidly increasing into becoming.”

TAYLOR HOOVER, 31

Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, of Utah, had been successful the Marines for 11 years and was remembered arsenic a leader who died serving others, his begetter Darin Hoover said.

Darin Hoover recovered retired his lad had died successful the blast connected Thursday nighttime erstwhile Marine unit sergeants who came to his location successful a suburb of Salt Lake City.

“He is simply a hero. He gave his beingness protecting those that can’t support themselves, doing what helium loved serving his country,” Darin Hoover said.

He said helium heard from Marines passim the time Friday who served with his lad who said they are grateful they had him arsenic their sergeant.

“They look backmost connected him and accidental that they’ve learned truthful overmuch from him,” Darin Hoover said. “One heck of a leader.”

His begetter said his lad was besides a champion person to his 2 sisters and loved each his extended family. He had a woman successful California.

A precocious schoolhouse shot subordinate who graduated from Hillcrest High School successful Midvale, Utah, successful 2008, Taylor Hoover was the benignant of feline who “lit up a room” erstwhile helium came in.

“He was the most-loving, giving, knowing idiosyncratic you could ever meet,” Darin Hoover said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was among officials who offered their sympathies to Hoover’s family. He said flags volition beryllium flown astatine half-staff astatine each authorities facilities and nationalist grounds until Aug. 30 to grant each those killed successful Afghanistan. “We grant his tremendous bravery and committedness to his country, adjacent arsenic we condemn the senseless unit that resulted successful his death,” Cox said.

DEAGAN WILLIAM-TYELER PAGE, 23

Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page served successful the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment based astatine Camp Pendleton, California, and planned to spell to commercialized schoolhouse and perchance go a lineman aft his enlistment ended, his household said successful a statement.

Page was raised successful Red Oak, Iowa, and successful the Omaha metro country and joined the Marines aft graduating from Millard South High School. He is mourned by his girlfriend, parents, stepmom and stepdad, 4 siblings and grandparents, the household said successful a connection released by a household friend. The connection said the household did not privation to talk to the media astatine this time.

“Daegan volition ever beryllium remembered for his pugnacious outer ammunition and elephantine heart,” the connection said. “Our hearts are broken, but we are thankful for the friends and household who are surrounding america during this time. Our thoughts and prayers are besides with the different Marine and Navy families whose loved ones died alongside Daegan.”

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, said successful a connection that helium was heartbroken to larn of Page’s death. “Corporal Page is an American leader who gave the past afloat measurement of devotion. He served his state honorably, and his work volition ne'er beryllium successful vain.”

RYAN KNAUSS, 23

Ryan Knauss was remembered arsenic a motivated antheral who loved his state and was looking guardant to coming backmost to the U.S. and yet moving to Washington, D.C., household members told WATE-TV successful Knoxville, Tennessee.

Knauss’ grandfather, Wayne Knauss, told the tv presumption that the household received connection of Knauss’s decease connected Friday, and ceremonial services were being planned. Knauss said his grandson attended Gibbs High School and grew up successful a Christian home.

“A motivated young antheral who loved his country,” Wayne Knauss said. “He was a believer, truthful we volition spot him again successful God’s heaven.”

Stepmother Linnae Knauss said Ryan planned to determination to Washington, D.C., aft helium returned to the U.S.

“He was a super-smart hilarious young man,” she said.

HERMAN LOPEZ, 22

Herman Lopez, whose parents enactment astatine the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department successful Southern California, was a sheriff’s Explorer for 3 years earlier joining the Marine Corps successful September 2017, said Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Bianco said Lopez planned to travel successful his parents’ footsteps and go a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy aft his deployment.

KAREEM MAE’LEE GRANT NIKOUI

The Southern California metropolis of Norco confirmed the decease of Lance Corporal Kareem Mae’Lee Grant Nikoui. The metropolis said Friday successful a station connected societal media that Nikoui is survived by his parents and siblings, and his sanction volition beryllium enshrined connected a memorial partition successful the city.

Norco Mayor Kevin Bash said helium learned of Nikoui’s decease Friday greeting from a household member.

“He was a bully kid, precise quiet,” said Bash, adding that “his extremity successful beingness was to beryllium successful the service.”

The Norco High School Air Force JROTC posted connected Facebook that Nikoui was “one of our champion Air Force JROTC cadets” and that “Kareem was acceptable connected being a Marine & ever wanted to service his country.”

DAVID LEE ESPINOZA, 20

The decease of Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, a Marine from Laredo, Texas, was confirmed by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.

The congressman’s property secretary, Dana Youngentob, said Pentagon representatives visited Cuellar’s Washington bureau to pass him of Espinoza’s death. Cuellar’s bureau besides received an authoritative decease announcement from the Pentagon.

In a statement, Cuellar said Espinoza “embodied the values of America: grit, dedication, service, and valor. When helium joined the subject aft precocious school, helium did truthful with the volition of protecting our federation and demonstrating his selfless acts of service.”

Cuellar concluded, “The brave ne'er die. Mr. Espinoza is simply a hero.”