Remembering The Final 13 -- You Are Not Forgotten!

One year ago this week in U.S. history, the United States formally withdrew from Afghanistan on Monday, August 30, 2021 after 20 years of war.
 
The military evacuation, which required thousands of additional U.S. troops on the ground and significant cooperation from the Taliban to complete, ended a day ahead of the deadline set and leaving behind hundreds of U.S. citizens and tens of thousands of Afghan allies, despite the earlier promises of the current U.S. President to "get them all out."

Many Americans and allies still remain left behind to this day -- but not forgotten.

On Thursday, August 26, 2021, during the U.S. military's mass evacuation at the Kabul airport, suicide bombers killed 183 people, including 13 U.S. service members. The U.S. government retaliated by launching two drone strikes against suspected ISIS-K terrorists, one of which sadly ended up killing 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children. The last casualties of that stupid and largely useless war.

Roll Call of the Fallen:

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

Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There were 2,456 United States military deaths in the War in Afghanistan (2001 - 2021). 1,932 of these deaths were the result of hostile action. 20,752 American servicemen and women were also wounded in action during the war.

Never forget the sacrifice of our brave military men and women.

Five US Servicemen Killed In Domestic Terrorist Attack In Chattanooga, Tennessee

On Thursday, July 16th, four US Marines were brutally murdered in a domestic terrorist attack outside a military recruitment center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The shooter (who I will not dignify by naming here) was also killed. A fifth victim, a US Navy reservist, was also killed. 

This nation mourns the loss of these five good men who served in the uniform of their nation, only to die - not on some far away battlefield defending this nation - but in their own home country at the hands of a murdering coward.

Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, 40 of Springfield, Massachusetts - RIP

Lance Cpl. Skip Wells, 21 of Marietta, Georgia - RIP

Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, 37 of Hixton, Texas - RIP

Sgt. Carson Holmquist, 27 of Grantsburg, Wisconsin - RIP

Petty Officer 2nd Class Randal Smith, 26 of Rossville, Georgia - RIP

Thank You For Your Service And God Be With Your Families In Their Time Of Sorrow.  

You Will Never Be Forgotten!

On a personal note, in addition to being a proud member of the US Marine Corps, Mr. Skip Wells was a volunteer for the Kennesaw Mountain National Military Park and a defender of the South's Confederate heritage and Civil War history.
Thank you for helping to educate the public about the South's civil war heritage and defending Southern cultural identity, sir. RIP.

National Tragedy -- 7 Marines and 4 LA National Guardsmen Killed In Tragic Accident

On Tuesday, March 10, 2015, seven US Marines from Camp LeJeune, North Carolina and four Louisiana National Guard soldiers were involved in a terrible helicopter accident during a training exercise near Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The Black Hawk helicopter they were training in got lost in foggy conditions at around 8:30 PM in the Santa Rosa Sound in the Florida panhandle.

  

Pictured from the top, left to right:

Captain Stanfort H. Shaw III (31) from Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Staff Sergeant Kerry Kemp (27) from Port Washington, Wisconsin

Staff Sergeant Marcus S. Bawol (27) from Warren, Michigan.

Staff Sergeant Trevor P. Blaylock (29) from Lake Orion, Michigan

Pictured bottom, left to right:

Staff Sergeant Liam A. Flynn (33) from Queens, New York

Master Sergeant Thomas A. Saunders (33) Williamsburg, Virginia

Staff Sergeant Andrew Seif  (26) from Holland, Michigan (a Silver Star recipient)

The seven Marines were members of the same team who constantly trained and faced danger together as a part of the Marines Special Operations Command (MARSOC) which totals about 2,500 troops.

Four Louisiana National Guard soldiers were also killed:

Chief Warrant Officer George Wayne Griffin (37)

Chief Warrant Officer George David Strother (44)

Staff Sgt. Lance Bergeron (40)

Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich (26)

The National Guard soldiers, from Hammond, Louisiana, each did two tours in Iraq and joined in humanitarian missions after the Gulf Coast hurricanes and the 2010 BP oil spill.

This was a senseless accident and a national tragedy. May God be with the families of these good men in their time of sorrow. My prayers go out to you too.