We honor the 13 fallen & 7 wounded U.S. warriors

There haven’t been U.S. casualties like this in Afghanistan in over a decade. Thirteen U.S. troops – 11 Marines, a Navy sailor and an Army soldier – were killed after a bomb was detonated at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26. Seven additional injured U.S. Marines remain at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. It all took place tragically during the Biden-botched Afghanistan withdrawal of the U.S. military, during which roughly 200 Afghans were also killed in the attack.

The hearts of my wife, Gena, and I are still breaking for the families and friends of these precious souls, as most were laid to rest in their hometowns this past week. We extend our heartfelt condolences to you all, and we will never forget the sacrifices they made. In fact, I’d like to briefly highlight each one of your fallen warriors to my readers so they might know and pay proper tribute to them, as reported in the Military Times with their awards and decorations. I did quite a bit of research to unearth personal details about their life and service most media outlets overlooked and that will tug your hearts with patriotism and pride.


Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Johanny graduated from Lawrence High School and attended Bridgewater State University, CBS Boston reported.

Gov. Charlie Baker called Rosario, who was seven years into her first deployment to Afghanistan when she was just 18, “a Massachusetts hero who has gone too soon.”

She was also a stabilizing and steady force that her family looked up to for strength and moral support.

Her brother, Yohervi Rosario Pichardo, said about his amazing sister: “My older sister Johanny was such a beautiful person. She was just an amazing person. She was our family’s backbone whenever my mom or siblings couldn’t, she would find a way. My older sister taught me these wise words: ‘Not every situation needs a reaction,’ and that hit us all,” said

Pichardo was a member of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity, Bahrain and that brigade’s Female Engagement Team was screening women and children at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan.

“Her service was not only crucial to evacuating thousands of women and children, but epitomizes what it means to be a Marine: putting herself in danger for the protection of American values so that others might enjoy them,” Marine 1st Lt. John “Jack” Coppola told the Boston Globe in a statement. “She is a hero, and her legacy will never be forgotten.”

The Boston Herald highlighted, “Before the bomb detonated, he said, Rosario Pichardo had been trying to help two Afghan women who were getting crushed by in a pack of people at the gates of the Kabul airport. Her final words were [to her superior], ‘They need me, sir.'”


Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The Sacramento Bee explained, “Gee graduated Oakmont High School in 2016 with a 4.1 GPA. While there, she danced and played sports. She stayed in contact with some of her teachers, who said in comments read at the ceremony it came as no surprise to them that Gee enlisted in the Marine Corps. Her husband, Jarod Gee, is also a graduate of Oakmont High School and a Marine.”

Landon Workman, a close friend of Gee, told ABC10 in a statement: “She was the most loving and caring individual I’ve ever met, she was the ‘mom’ of any group she was a part of and had a knack for brightening anyone’s day. She is loved by every group she has ever encountered, it would be hard to find a negative thing to say about her. Sergeant Nicole Gee was a Marines Marine in every sense of the saying. Not only the Marine Corps but the world lost one of the most beautiful souls to ever exist.”

Gee’s sister, Misty Fuoco, called her the “best friend since the day she was born,” and her “role model.” “She was an amazing sister, daughter, wife, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, and she was one pretty bad ass Marine.”

She was a ground electronics transmission systems maintainer assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, a subordinate unit of Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
WAMU reported, “Just days before her death, Sgt. Nicole Gee posted a photo on Instagram of herself in uniform while holding a baby in Afghanistan with the caption, ‘I love my job.'”

Another of Gee’s photos – posted more recently – shows her posing near a cargo plane as a line of people wait to board from the back. The photo is captioned: ‘Escorting evacuees onto the bird.'”

According to the Military Times, “Her military awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense and Global War on Terrorism Service Medals.”


Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
His military occupational specialty was 0369, infantry unit leader.
NBC News reported, “Taylor Hoover was 11 years old when the Sept. 11 terrorist attack happened. His father recalled military recruiters later coming into his son’s high school and said that Taylor immediately knew he wanted to join the Marines. ‘He was dead set on it,’ Dad Darin Hoover said.”

Taylor Hoover served in the Marines for 11 years and was on his third tour in Afghanistan when he was killed.

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Certificate of Commendation (Individual), Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Letter of Appreciation, Meritorious Mast, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, according to a 1st Marine Division press release.”


Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California, a rifleman.
The Desert Sun reported, “Lopez is the son of two Riverside County Sheriff’s Department employees. His father, Capt. Herman Lopez, who commands the sheriff station in Thermal, has worked for the department since 1997. He serves as the police chief for the City of La Quinta, which contracts with the sheriff’s department for law enforcement services.”

“Lopez’s mother, Deputy Alicia Lopez, has worked for the department since 2001 and serves on the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association’s executive board.”

NBC Los Angeles reported, “Hunter was devoted to serving others and perfecting himself in order to be the best Explorer and Marine possible. Whether at work or at home, Hunter strived for perfection, seeking knowledge and experience from those he respected and admired,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release on Friday. “When on leave, Hunter enjoyed being around family and friends and sharing his experiences with everyone.”

The sheriff’s press release went on, “Lopez was also a history buff; [he]had many aspirations after completing his service, like being part of a shooting and firearms company with several friends and becoming a deputy with the department.

“He lived life to the fullest and was often the reason why family and friends would bend over backwards to get together when he was around.”
According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include a Certificate of Appreciation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Letter of Appreciation, Meritorious Mast, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, a rifleman.
His obituary read, “Throughout his 23 years, Daegan lived life to the fullest. He had a passion for hockey and started playing at a very young age. He went on to be a member of the State Champion Westside Warrior hockey team and was a lifelong Chicago Blackhawks fan. He was also a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millard and Boy Scout Troop 331. Daegan loved to spend time outdoors, especially out on the water. He also was an avid skateboarder. Other hobbies included photography, music, art (especially sketching), playing video games, and joking around with friends and family.”

“Daegan loved the brotherhood of the Marines and was proud to serve as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. He deployed multiple times during his service and spent time in Japan, South Korea, Australia, Jordan, and Afghanistan. To Daegan’s younger siblings he was not only a Marine, but their real-life hero.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the Korean Defense Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, a rifleman.
The Indy Star reported, “The 22-year-old had graduated from Logansport High School in 2017, playing soccer and making art in his teenage years. He worked at the town’s west side McDonald’s during high school, which has now been memorialized with a mural of him.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported, “Former Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Eric Holcomb and Sen. Todd Young offered their condolences at Tuesday’s service. Loved ones paid their tributes, too, with his family pastor offering prayers and his younger brother Ariel Loran playing The Marines’ Hymn.”

Mike Pence said about Sanchez, “I’m told he never gave up till his job was done. He stayed at his post. No one will ever say it better than his mother did. ‘In those final moments of his life, it was a work of heart.'”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas, a rifleman.
WAMU reported, “Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar released a statement on Facebook saying that Espinoza is a hero and that his heart goes out to Espinoza’s family during this difficult time.”

“David Espinoza, a Laredo native Marine killed in Afghanistan, embodied the values of America: grit, dedication, service, and valor,” Cuellar wrote. “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. I mourn him and all the fallen heroes in Afghanistan.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott invoked Espinoza’s name as part of his order to lower the Texas Capitol’s flags to half-staff.

“I ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the U.S. service members killed in yesterday’s horrific attack in Kabul. U.S. Marine David Lee Espinoza, a Laredo native, was one of the 13 service members killed,” Abbott tweeted. “These heroes should never be forgotten.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, a rifleman.
NPR reported, “Jared wanted to be a Marine from his sophomore year of high school. His father says he was fearful of his son getting into a dangerous type of work, but he knew that being a Marine fit Jared ‘like a glove.’ Jared was never studious, Mark says, but once he set his mind on it, he was laser focused on learning everything he could about the Marines. He had to have his parents’ permission when he signed up at age 17.”

CBS58 reported, “Schmitz was from Wentzville, Missouri, and was particularly close to his 9-year-old special needs sister, his father said.”

“She worshiped the ground he walked on,” Schmitz wrote in his statement. “He would meet her at the bus stop every day and walk home. It really made her day.”

“She would get a kick out of making her backpack heavier to get on his nerves, but of course he just turned that into training,” he added.

Schmitz’s father added his son was a “great friend.”

“I didn’t know it was possible to be as proud of someone as I am of him now,” he wrote. “At first, I was terrified for him to join the Corps, but with his dedication – in the end he was doing what he loved and what was his mission was in life.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, a rifleman.
Rylee’s obituary highlighted, “Rylee found a passion for wrestling early on. Though he wasn’t always the most talented or most athletic, it would be hard to find someone who worked harder to get better. Each loss in his young wrestling career fueled the fire to find a way to win … which he did! One of his shining moments was winning a Triple Crown at the state tournament, without allowing a single point to be scored against him.”

“Rylee enjoyed the times we loaded up our vehicle with gear and a few other wrestlers and traveled across the Intermountain West to go to tournaments. He was always learning and always willing to teach and share to help someone else get better. Always making someone laugh, smile or feel like they were a winner. Some of Rylee’s best friendships were those he made in the wrestling community.”

According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, “his father, Jim McCollum, [said] Rylee loved competition and overcoming obstacles.”

“Winning was always the goal, but Rylee knew, probably better than most, that sometimes the greatest challenges are the ones we fight within ourselves,” his father said. “He always found a way to win those battles and become stronger.”

Rylee’s greatest win was his marriage. His obituary concluded, “Shortly after his Marine Corps graduation, Rylee met his wife Jiennah (Gigi). They married On Valentine’s Day 2021, and are expecting their baby Sept. 22. Rylee was excited to become a father. Rylee could not have found a better partner to share his life with. The family fell in love with her as well the very first time we met her. As the family has gotten to know her better, it has become apparent they share the same generous heart. Always thinking of others.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, a rifleman.
Merola graduated from Los Osos High School in 2019 and planned to study engineering in college after his military service.

KTLA 5 reported, “One of Merola’s teachers from Los Osos High School also spoke during the remembrance Thursday.”

“He was the kind of young man that you always knew would give his best effort and make sure the job was done, and done right,” teacher Randy Shorts said.

Stars & Stripes reported, speaking to those gathered at his vigil, “Merola’s mother, Cheryl Rex, shared through tears that her son always wore military attire as a child.”

“He wanted nothing more than to become a Marine,” Rex recalled. “He joined the Marine Corps and proudly served his country to the highest degree.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.
WAMU reported that Nikoui’s father, Steve, told The Daily Beast that his son “loved what he was doing, 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. No hesitation for him to be called to duty.”

Stars and Stripes reported, “Nikoui, a 2019 Norco High graduate was described as a ‘strong person,’ who ‘held no grudges,’ and had ‘a love for kids,’ Pastor Phil Wozniak said. The fallen Marine’s mother told Wozniak that he’d gone back to save a child when the bomb went off.”

Norco Mayor Kevin Bash told ABC7 that Nikoui died helping to save families of Afghans who had aided the U.S. government.

“My understanding is that he rescued – per a sergeant that wrote the family – he rescued three families,” Bash told the TV station. “And he was in the process of saving children, translators that had worked for the U.S. government. He passed off a child and went back into the crowd and that’s when the bomb went off.”

According to the Military Times, “His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.
The Military Times reported, “Maxton was an awesome young man who was well liked in the community, as evidenced by the outpouring of condolences from teachers, coaches, employers, family and friends. He was always proud of being part of a state champion wrestling team and state playoff final four football team two years in a row, but he was most proud to be a Navy Corpsman and a ‘devil doc’ for the Marines.”

WAMU reported, “Multiple Ohio lawmakers released statements about Max’s death, including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Rep. Tim Ryan. All of them expressed their condolences for his family and friends.”

“Our nation mourns the loss of Navy Corpsman Max Soviak, whose uncommon courage in the face of unfathomable danger ensured the safe passage of countless civilians,” Kaptur said in her statement. “We will never be able to repay the debt we owe him, but we will be forever grateful for his willingness to serve when America needed him most. Our hearts go out to his family during this time, and we lift them up in prayer that they may find comfort in his memory.”

The Military Times explained, “His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal, Flag letter of Accommodation. Additional awards pending approval may include Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.”


Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

Task & Purpose News reported, Knauss joined the Army service in May 2016, according to his military records, and had previously deployed to Afghanistan in 2017 before completing the Psychological Operations Qualification Course and being assigned to the 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). Among his awards and decorations are the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, the Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.”

He was the “embodiment of an Army Special Operations Forces soldier,” his commander, Col. Jeremy Mushtare said in an Army press release, “a testament to the professionalism of the non-commissioned officer corps, and a steadfast husband and teammate.”

Knox News reported that Ryan married his high school sweetheart: “Alena and Ryan met at a pizza parlor on Broadway in Knoxville when they were just 15 years old. She was smitten with her boyfriend, then husband, and never dreamed she’d become a military widow.”

“The couple had hopes and plans that included trying for their first child as soon as Ryan returned home from overseas. A second-floor nursery was first on their list of house projects.”

“He was just so brilliant,” she said. “He could have done whatever he wanted, but he wanted to serve his country.”

As I pointed out in my 9/11 column last week, most of the above 13 U.S. fallen warriors were babies or toddlers on that day that changed America 20 years ago. They inherited a war that wasn’t theirs, and they served it bravely and unconditionally until their final breath.

It chaps my hide when people today belittle our military or say America doesn’t have young people who still embolden the brazen courage of the men of old, when our service men and women continue willfully to place themselves in harm’s way and defend freedom to the point of death. (In 2010, Gena and I visited West Point, where the thousands of young cadets blew us away with how ready and eager they were to serve their country.)

As young men, each of the males in our family served in the military, and my younger brother Weiland even paid the ultimate price while doing so. So, my family is intimately acquainted with the grief of war.

My father fought and was wounded in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge. I served in the U.S. Air Force in Korea. I am also an honorary Marine. My brother Aaron served in the U.S. Army in Korea on the DMZ.

My brother Wieland Clyde Norris earned his Purple Heart on June 3, 1970, when he gave his life in combat in the Vietnam War. Wieland was also awarded the Silver Star Medal for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action.

Wieland was also posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with “V” Device (First Oak Leaf Cluster) for his heroism. In the official correspondence about the award from Thomas E. Minix, LTC, AGC, adjutant general, it details Wieland’s heroism in this way:

“For heroism in ground combat against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam on 3 June 1970. Private Norris distinguished himself while serving as assistant machine gunner in Company A, 2d Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry, during combat operations near Fire Support Base Ripcord, Republic of Vietnam. When his platoon made contact with an enemy reconnaissance team, Private Norris volunteered to walk in the lead position to inspect the area after the enemy was engaged by aerial rocket artillery. Approaching the top of a hill, he noticed two hostile soldiers waiting in ambush. Private Norris immediately shouted a warning to his fellow soldiers, drawing the hostile fire to himself, mortally wounding him. His alertness prevented the insurgents from inflicting numerous casualties on his platoon. Private Norris’ personal bravery and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

Wieland’s body was laid to rest at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. His name is also on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 09w, Line 5). I dedicated all my action movies to Wieland.

On the day Wieland sacrificed his own life, I lost my brother and best friend, and the hearts of my mother, other brother, Aaron, and my own were torn in two. That day we unwillingly joined the ranks of those honored families with fallen warriors.

About America’s 13 fallen warriors in Afghanistan and my brother Wieland, Abraham Lincoln’s words at Gettysburg in 1863 also apply: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

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