A young husband with a child on the way. Another man who always wanted to be in the military. A man who planned to become a sheriff鈥檚 deputy when his deployment ended. Heartwrenching details began emerging Friday about some of the 13 U.S. troops killed in a horrific suicide bombing at Afghanistan鈥檚 Kabul airport, which also claimed the lives of more than 160 Afghans.
Eleven Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier were among the dead, while 18 other U.S. service members were wounded in Thursday’s bombing, which was blamed on Afghanistan鈥檚 offshoot of the Islamic State group. The U.S. said it was the most lethal day for American forces in Afghanistan since 2011. The White House said President Joe Biden will look for opportunities to honor the servicemembers who lost their lives, many of whom were men in their early 20s.
Here are the stories of some of the victims and the people who are mourning them:
RYLEE McCOLLUM, 20
Rylee McCollum, a Marine and native of Bondurant, Wyoming, was married and his wife is expecting a baby in three weeks, his sister, Cheyenne McCollum, said.
鈥淗e was so excited to be a dad, and he was going to be a great dad,” McCollum said. She said her brother 鈥渨as a Marine before he knew he was allowed to be a Marine … He鈥檇 carry around his toy rifle and wear his sister鈥檚 pink princess snow boots and he鈥檇 either be hunting or he was a Marine. Sometimes it would be with nothing on underneath, just a T-shirt.鈥�
McCollum said her brother wanted to be a history teacher and a wrestling coach once he completed his service. Another sister, Roice McCollum, told the Casper Star Tribune that her brother was on his first deployment when the evacuation in Afghanistan began.
鈥淲e want to make sure that people know that these are the kids that are sacrificing themselves, and he鈥檚 got a family who loves him and a wife who loves him and a baby that he鈥檒l never get to meet,鈥� Cheyenne McCollum said.
Regi Stone, the father of one of Rylee McCollum鈥檚 friends, described McCollum as 鈥渁 good kid,鈥� who was resilient, smart and courageous. Stone shared a note that 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 the friends to run the other way if they had to go in first and that both of them said, 鈥淚f we die doing this, we die doing what we love.鈥�
KAREEM MAE鈥橪EE GRANT NIKOUI, 20
Lance Corporal Kareem Mae鈥橪ee Grant Nikoui, of Norco, California, sent videos to his family hours before he died, showing himself interacting with children in Afghanistan. In one of the clips, he asked a young boy to say hello.
鈥淲ant to take a video together buddy?鈥� Nikoui said, leaning in to take a video of himself with the boy. 鈥淎ll right, we鈥檙e heroes now, man.鈥�
Close family friend Paul Arreola said the videos show “the heart of this young man, the love he has.鈥�
鈥淭he family is just heartbroken,” he said. Arreola described Nikoui as an 鈥渁mazing young man鈥� full of promise who always wanted to be a Marine and set out to achieve his goal. He is survived by his parents and three siblings.
鈥淗e loved this country and everything we stand for. It鈥檚 just so hard to know that we鈥檝e lost him,鈥� he said, crying.
Nikoui was also in the JROTC, and the Norco High School Air Force JROTC posted on Facebook that he was 鈥渙ne of our best Air Force JROTC cadets鈥� and that 鈥淜areem was set on being a Marine & always wanted to serve his country.鈥�
The city of Norco said Friday in a post on social media that Nikoui’s name will be enshrined on a memorial wall in the city.
JARED SCHMITZ, 20
Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz grew up in the St. Louis area and was among a group of Marines sent back to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation efforts, his father, Mark Schmitz, told KMOX Radio.
Mark Schmitz said his son always wanted to be a Marine. He said he learned of his son’s death when the Marines came to his home in Wentzville, Missouri, at 2:40 a.m. Friday.
鈥淭his was something he always wanted to do, and I never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be,鈥� Schmitz said of his son. 鈥淗is life meant so much more. I鈥檓 so incredibly devastated that I won鈥檛 be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming.鈥�
TAYLOR HOOVER, 31
Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, of Utah, had been in the Marines for 11 years and was remembered as a hero who died serving others, his father Darin Hoover said.
鈥淗e is a hero. He gave his life protecting those that can鈥檛 protect themselves, doing what he loved serving his country,鈥� said Darin Hoover, who lives in a Salt Lake City suburb.
He said he heard from Marines throughout the day Friday who said they are grateful they had his son as their sergeant.
鈥淭hey look back on him and say that they鈥檝e learned so much from him,鈥� Darin Hoover said. 鈥淥ne heck of a leader.鈥�
His father said his son was also a best friend to his two sisters and loved all his extended family. He had a girlfriend in California and was the kind of guy who 鈥渓it up a room鈥� when he came in, his father said.
Nate Thompson of Murray, Utah, first met Hoover when they were 10 years old in Little League football. They stayed friends through high school, where Hoover played lineman. He was undersized for the position, but his heart and hard work more than made up for what he lacked in statute, Thompson said. As a friend, he was selfless and kind.
鈥淚f we had trouble with grades, trouble with family or trouble on the field, we always called Taylor. He鈥檚 always level-headed, even if he鈥檚 struggling himself,鈥� he said.
DEAGAN WILLIAM-TYELER PAGE, 23
Corporal Daegan William-Tyeler Page served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment based at Camp Pendleton, California, and planned to go to trade school and possibly become a lineman after his enlistment ended, his family said in a statement.
Page was raised in Red Oak, Iowa, and in the Omaha metro area and joined the Marines after graduating from Millard South High School. He is mourned by his girlfriend, parents, stepmom and stepdad, four siblings and grandparents, the family said in a statement released by a family friend. The statement said the family did not wish to speak to the media at this time.
鈥淒aegan will always be remembered for his tough outer shell and giant heart,鈥� the statement said. 鈥漁ur hearts are broken, but we are thankful for the friends and family who are surrounding us during this time. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the other Marine and Navy families whose loved ones died alongside Daegan.鈥�
RYAN KNAUSS, 23
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss was remembered as a motivated man who loved his country and was looking forward to coming back to the U.S. and eventually moving to Washington, D.C., family members told WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Knauss鈥� grandfather, Wayne Knauss, told the television station that the family received word of Knauss’s death on Friday, and funeral services were being planned. Knauss said his grandson attended Gibbs High School and grew up in a Christian home.
鈥淎 motivated young man who loved his country,鈥� Wayne Knauss said. 鈥淗e was a believer, so we will see him again in God鈥檚 heaven.鈥�
Stepmother Linnae Knauss said Ryan planned to move to Washington after he returned to the U.S.
鈥淗e was a super-smart hilarious young man,鈥� she said.
HUNTER LOPEZ, 22
Hunter Lopez, whose parents work at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California, was a sheriff’s Explorer for three years before joining the Marine Corps in September 2017, Sheriff Chad Bianco said.
Bianco said Lopez planned to follow in his parents’ footsteps and become a Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy after his deployment.
DAVID LEE ESPINOZA, 20
Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, a Marine from Laredo, Texas, joined the military after high school, and was being remembered as a hero by his mother.
鈥淗e was just brave enough to go do what he wanted and to help out people. That鈥檚 who he was, he was just perfect,” his mother, Elizabeth Holguin. told the Laredo Morning Times.
Espinoza’s death was confirmed earlier by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. The congressman’s press secretary, Dana Youngentob, said Pentagon representatives visited Cuellar鈥檚 Washington office to inform him of Espinoza’s death. Cuellar鈥檚 office also received an official death notice from the Pentagon.
In a statement, Cuellar said Espinoza 鈥渆mbodied 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.鈥�
Cuellar concluded, 鈥淭he brave never die. Mr. Espinoza is a hero.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Terry Wallace in Dallas, Lindsay Whitehurst and Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and Darlene Superville in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to fix Hunter Lopez’s first name.
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