Congress awards Gold Medal to 13 service members killed in Afghanistan withdrawal

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Home Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican of Louisiana) and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat of New York) hosted a ceremony to award the Gold Medal to the 13 American servicemen who died at Abbey Gate through the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Johnson posthumously awarded the Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor, to the 13 fallen Individuals killed within the ISIS-Ok suicide bombing at Kabul airport in August 2021.

He opened the ceremony on Tuesday by naming the fallen and apologizing to their households.

The 13 American service members killed at Abbey Gate had been: Marine Corps Employees Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Web page, Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, and Military Employees Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.

“Our nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to those servicemen and girls and people who had been with them at the moment in Kabul. We additionally owe them one thing deeper, and that’s an apology to the households who’re right here. I do know lots of you could have but to listen to these phrases, so I’ll say them. We’re sorry,” Johnson mentioned in his opening assertion. “America authorities ought to have executed every part it might to guard our troops. Those that fell and had been wounded at Abbey Gate deserved our greatest efforts, and the households who had been left behind to select up the items nonetheless deserve transparency, appreciation and recognition for you and the households who will not be right here. I can promise you that you’re not alone in bearing the burden of that day. And whereas we are able to by no means totally recognize your loss, we are able to and should keep in mind the final word sacrifice that was made.”

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Coral Doolittle, the mom of Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, closed the ceremony with a plea to Individuals on behalf of the households of the 13 fallen: “Say their names. Say their names and inform their tales.”

“We’re honored to face right here at the moment and obtain this recognition on behalf of the 13 who gave their lives. As dad and mom, our grief by no means actually ends,” she mentioned. “It adjustments, it transforms, nevertheless it stays with us perpetually. A big a part of us died with our kids on August 26, 2021. We wish everybody to know that ceremonies like this provide a small however significant aid in our ongoing journey of grief, and remind us that we raised the most effective and brightest for this nation. We deeply recognize the efforts of Congress and the Speaker of the Home to make this second doable.”

In his speech, Jeffries, who introduced the Congressional Gold Medal, mentioned, “We honor with respect 13 patriots who fell with super braveness in a battle zone.”

Gold medals are displayed previous to a ceremony honoring the 13 U.S. service members killed within the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport in Afghanistan within the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Sept. 10, 2024 in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

“The 13 heroes we honor right here at the moment symbolize the most effective of America. They had been beloved little children, brothers and sisters, spouses and pals who knew the risks of the mission however answered the decision to serve anyway, risking their very own security for the protection of our fellow Individuals, our allies and our Afghan companions. They defended freedom and democracy till their final breath. They stored the gate open,” Jeffries mentioned. “The Gold Medal we award at the moment is the very best honor the Congress of america can bestow. However no honor can really repay the unimaginable sacrifice our fallen made for the households right here.”

“This Congressional Gold Medal additionally represents our ironclad promise to you. We have now not forgotten your ache. We’ll always remember the final word sacrifice your family members made, and our gratitude will probably be everlasting,” he mentioned. “Could the recollections of those youngsters of God, defenders of peace and defenders of freedom, proceed to encourage all of us to defend freedom and democracy right here at residence and all over the world, as they bravely did.”

Home Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) acknowledged that the 13 American servicemen killed had been “binding the injuries of a battle that had consumed their complete lives.”

“Immediately, 13 younger Individuals from each nook of our nation had been perpetually linked. Immediately, their heroic service turned an final and everlasting sacrifice,” McConnell mentioned, after studying private particulars about how every of the fallen is remembered by their households. “As we speak, the title Abbey Gate carries a heavy toll of anger, confusion and unspeakable grief. However we declare right here at the moment, with the very best honor in Congress, and we stamp it deep into the hearts of a grateful nation, that these two phrases will perpetually stand for bravery, the bravery of your little children and our heroes. ”

A show of fallen U.S. service members is seen throughout a press convention by Home International Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, on the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photograph/J.Scott Applewhite)

Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) identified that among the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate had been “even youthful than the battle in Afghanistan itself.”

“However to the civilians who desperately tried to flee Taliban rule by way of Abbey Gate on that fateful day, these 13 Individuals had been greater than heroes. Protectors, rescuers who fought for a trigger far higher than themselves, to deliver freedom to those that in any other case may by no means have identified it,” Schumer mentioned. “As we keep in mind the 13 fallen heroes, we additionally keep in mind each American who served in Afghanistan, together with the two,400 killed, the greater than 20,000 wounded, and the a whole lot of hundreds extra who wore the uniform.”

“Tomorrow we commemorate the anniversary of September eleventh, a day after we rededicate ourselves to that sacred promise. Always remember,” Schumer mentioned. “Nicely, that is what this morning’s ceremony is all about. We’ll always remember the sacrifice of our 13 fallen service members. It’s now as much as all of us right here underneath the dome of Girl Liberty to make sure that the sacrifices of all our service members will not be in useless.”

Home International Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, speaks about his panel’s Afghanistan report on the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. He’s joined by Republican lawmakers and households of the service members who died through the evacuation. (AP Photograph/J.Scott Applewhite)

The assault additionally killed about 170 Afghans. Tuesday’s ceremony comes two days after Rep. Mike McCaul, the Republican chairman of the Home International Affairs Committee, launched a scathing 350-page report that scrutinized the 2021 army withdrawal from Afghanistan and highlighted areas of gross mismanagement.

The Republican-led report begins with a glance again at President Biden’s urgency to withdraw from the Vietnam Warfare as a senator within the Seventies. That, together with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, reveals a “sample of callous international coverage positions and willingness to desert strategic companions,” the report mentioned.

The report additionally contradicts Biden’s declare that he’s certain by the Doha deal former President Trump struck with the Taliban, which set a summer time 2021 deadline for a U.S. withdrawal. It additionally reveals that state officers had no plan to tug out Individuals and allies whereas troops had been nonetheless there to guard them.

On the third anniversary of the assault final month, Trump joined the households of the 13 slain American service members at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.

Biden and Vice President Harris had been absent. Though they launched written statements naming the 13 folks killed that day, neither Biden nor Harris spoke publicly on the anniversary.

Throughout the Republican Celebration Conference in July, the Gold Star households took the stage to criticize President Biden for by no means saying aloud the names of the 13 Individuals who had been murdered.

Donald Trump stands with Misty Fuoco, whose sister Sgt. Nicole Gee was killed within the Abbey Gate bombing, throughout a wreath-laying ceremony on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery on August 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

Harris later accused Trump of enjoying politics with the go to to Arlington Nationwide Cemetery, however in a collection of quick movies, eight households mentioned they’d invited Trump and strongly criticized the Biden-Harris administration for the withdrawal that left 13 U.S. service members lifeless three years in the past.

The vp had criticized Trump’s group for taking images and video throughout a wreath-laying ceremony. The Military mentioned an official at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery was “abruptly pushed apart” whereas he was ensuring Trump’s group “was briefed on federal legislation, Military laws and DoD coverage, which clearly prohibit political exercise on cemetery grounds.”

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Gold Star households who misplaced family members within the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan fiercely criticized Harris for her assault on Trump’s go to, during which she paid tribute to the fallen.

Fox Information’ Morgan Phillips, Nicholas Kalman and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report. This can be a growing story. Examine again for updates.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking information and political reporter for Fox Information Digital. Story ideas may be despatched to [email protected] and to X: @danimwallace.

Congress awards Gold Medal to 13 service members killed in Afghanistan withdrawal

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