What We Know About the 13 US Service Members Killed in Kabul

• Aug. 28, 2021, 4:39 p.m. ET

The Department of Defense connected Saturday identified the 13 members of the U.S. subject who were killed successful the onslaught connected the airdrome successful Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Thursday arsenic they worked to evacuate radical to safety. They hailed from crossed the state — from California to Wyoming to Tennessee — and had an mean property of conscionable implicit 22. Eleven were Marines, 1 was a Navy medic and different was a subordinate of the Army.

Here is what we cognize astir them.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City.

Staff Sergeant Hoover was a calved leader, his begetter Darin Hoover said, who loved the United States and was connected his third tour successful Afghanistan. “He led his men into that, and they followed him, but I cognize — I cognize successful my bosom of hearts, helium was retired front,” Mr. Hoover said. “And they would’ve followed him done the gates of hellhole if that’s what it took, and, ultimately, that’s beauteous overmuch what helium did.”

Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Mass.

Sergeant Rosario should beryllium “recognized arsenic the leader that she was,” her household told the politician of Lawrence. Her erstwhile inferior R.O.T.C. teacher recalled her arsenic an “absolute warrior” successful precocious school, and Marine First Lt. John Coppola said successful a connection that she had been “crucial to evacuating thousands of women and children.” The Dominican Republic’s embassy successful the U.S. said that she was Dominican-American.

Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, Calif.

In Sergeant Gee’s astir caller post connected Instagram, little than a week ago, she stands adjacent to a agelong enactment of radical waiting to record into a subject level astatine the Kabul airport. “Escorting evacuees onto the bird,” she wrote. In different post, successful which she is holding a kid successful Kabul, she wrote, “I emotion my job.” A chap sergeant wrote on Facebook that Sergeant Gee’s car was inactive successful the batch astatine a Marine Corps basal successful North Carolina: “I drove it astir the parking batch each erstwhile successful a portion to marque definite it would beryllium bully for erstwhile she came home.”

Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, Calif.

Corporal Lopez’s parent told a newsman successful Southern California that her lad had precocious carried an Afghan toddler respective miles to safety, and asked radical to airy a candle successful his honor. Corporal Lopez’s parents some enactment for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department successful California, his begetter arsenic a skipper and his parent arsenic a deputy. “Like his parents who service our community, being a Marine to Hunter wasn’t a job; it was a calling,” the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association wrote successful a statement.

Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha.

Corporal Page grew up successful Red Oak, Iowa, and successful the country astir Omaha, and joined the Marines aft precocious school, his household said successful a statement. He had 4 siblings and was a subordinate of the Boy Scouts, played nine hockey, hunted with his begetter and had a “soft spot successful his bosom for dogs,” they said. “To his younger siblings, helium was their favourite jungle gym and to his friends, helium was a genuinely blessed feline that you could ever number on,” the household said, adding that helium was being mourned by his parents, stepparents, siblings, grandparents and his girlfriend.

Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Ind.

Corporal Sanchez lived successful a tiny metropolis astir an hr and a fractional northbound of Indianapolis and had graduated from Logansport High School. The politician of Logansport said that Corporal Sanchez “still had his full beingness up of him” and that the young antheral had sacrificed himself by “putting himself into harm’s way” arsenic portion of the ngo successful Kabul. Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana vowed “to grant him successful each way” possible. “Few among america reply a telephone of work truthful unsafe arsenic Corporal Sanchez volunteered to do,” helium said.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.

Lance Corporal Espinoza’s parent told a section tv station that she had received a telephone astatine 2:30 a.m. informing her of her young son’s death. “I americium arrogant of him due to the fact that of what helium did but arsenic a mother, you know, it’s hard,” his mother, Elizabeth Holguin, told the station, KGNS-TV, arsenic she teared up. The presumption reported that Lance Corporal Espinoza’s sister had conscionable turned 13. The corporal was calved successful Laredo, Texas, his household said, and helium had been stationed successful Jordan for 2 years earlier being transferred to Kabul astir a week ago. “He ever knew” however overmuch his parents loved him, Ms. Holguin said.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.

Lance Corporal Schmitz, who lived successful a suburb of St. Louis, had been stationed successful Jordan connected his archetypal deployment earlier being transferred to Afghanistan for the evacuation ngo astir 2 weeks ago, his father, Mark Schmitz, told KMOX vigor successful St. Louis. “It’s thing helium ever wanted to bash and I’ve ne'er seen a young antheral bid arsenic hard arsenic helium did to beryllium the champion worker helium could be,” Mr. Schmitz said, adding that the household was some devastated and furious. “Somebody conscionable came on and took the casual mode retired and ended everything for him and for america — and for those others that were killed,” helium said.

Understand the Taliban Takeover successful Afghanistan

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyo.

Lance Corporal McCollum had dreamed of becoming a Marine ever since helium was 3 years old, his father, Jim, said successful an interview. He, too, was precocious transferred from Jordan to Afghanistan, and Mr. McCollum began checking his telephone for a small greenish dot connected a messaging app that showed that his lad was online — and OK. When quality came that 13 Americans had died successful the attack, helium again checked for the dot and sent him a connection with nary response. “In my bosom yesterday afternoon, I knew,” Mr. McCollum said, adding that his lad was “a beauteous soul.”

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Lance Corporal Merola was “one of the champion kids ever,” said Cheryl Merola, his mother. He was “kind, loving” and “would springiness thing for anybody,” she told KCBS-TV. His grandma told the presumption that Lance Corporal Merola would often accidental helium wanted to travel location to his family. He had been transferred to Afghanistan astir a week and a fractional ago, and near a dependable message connection with his parent saying helium would not beryllium capable to speech to her for a portion and that helium loved her. Los Osos High School successful Southern California, from which helium precocious graduated, held a infinitesimal of soundlessness for him astatine a shot crippled connected Friday.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Calif.

Lance Corporal Nikoui was a young martial arts champion whose begetter told Reuters that helium had watched tv nonstop for updates connected the onslaught until helium learned the devastating quality from 3 Marines astatine his door. “He was calved the aforesaid twelvemonth it started, and ended his beingness with the extremity of this war,” Steve Nikoui said. He told The Daily Beast that his lad loved his Marine household and wanted to “make a vocation retired of this,” and added that helium was frustrated that President Biden had sent his and others’ children into harm’s way. “They sent my lad implicit determination arsenic a insubstantial pusher and past had the Taliban extracurricular providing security,” helium said.

Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.

Mr. Soviak grew up playing shot successful a tiny bluish Ohio assemblage wherever his decease has near a “Maxton-sized hole” successful his loved ones’ lives, his sister Marilyn wrote successful an Instagram post. He was a Navy medic who had graduated from precocious schoolhouse successful 2017. “Everybody looked to Max successful pugnacious situations,” said Jim Hall, his precocious schoolhouse shot coach, who described Mr. Soviak arsenic a profoundly loyal friend. “He was energetic. He wore his emotions connected his sleeve. He was a passionate kid. He didn’t clasp thing back.”

Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tenn.

Staff Sergeant Knauss was “a motivated young antheral who loved his country,” his gramps Wayne Knauss told WATE-TV successful Knoxville, Tenn. “He was a believer truthful we volition spot him again successful heaven.” He had been successful the subject for 5 years, his gramps said, and his stepmother told the presumption that helium had planned to determination to Washington erstwhile helium returned to the United States. One of his former teachers said helium had been “quiet but confident” successful schoolhouse and that helium had written an effort that said his relation models were radical who basal up against powerfulness to assistance people. “He wrote that 9 years agone arsenic a 14-year-old boy, not knowing the antheral helium was going to become,” Angela Hoffman, the teacher, told the station.

Jack Healy and Dave Philipps contributed reporting.