By Lee Trawick Riverbend News
On Thursday, Sept. 2, at Millennium Park, located at 101-199 Pine Ave. SW, in Live Oak, many gathered for a candlelight vigil in honor of the ultimate sacrifice made by the 13 soldiers at Kabul Airport on Thursday, Aug. 26. Suwannee County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Buddy Williams gave words of comfort and a glimpse into the depths of their sacrifices made. So many grieve for the lost soldiers, as well as all those who have chosen to answer the call to be something bigger than themselves, to offer to sacrifice so much for the face of democracy throughout the world. The Suwannee High School N.J.R.O.T.C. presented the colors.
On Thursday, Aug. 26, suicide bombers and gunmen laid siege on a crowd of civilians trying to evacuate Afghanistan. Over 100 people lost their lives that day, as the United States led the humanitarian effort to evacuate people to safety. Among the 100 people who lost their lives were 13 American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice, including 11 Marines, one Navy Corpsman and one Army soldier. The names of these soldiers are as follows:
Marine Corps Staff Sgt.
Darin T. Hoover,
31-years-old.
Marine Corps Sgt.
Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25-years-old.
Marine Corps Sgt.
Nicole L. Gee,
23-years-old.
Marine Corps Cpl.
Hunter Lopez,
22-years-old.
Marine Corps Cpl.
Daegan W. Page,
23-years-old.
Marine Corps Cpl.
Humberto A. Sanchez,
22-years-old.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
David L. Espinoza,
20-years-old.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Jared M. Schmitz,
20-years-old.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Rylee J. McCollum,
20-years-old.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Dylan R. Merola,
20-years-old.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl.
Kareem N. Nikoui,
20-years-old.
Navy Hospitalman
Maxton W. Soviak,
22-years-old.
Army Staff Sgt.
Ryan C. Knauss,
23-years-old.