4 CA Service Members Killed In Kabul Airport Attack

RIVERSIDE, CA — Four Marines from California were identified this week among the 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing at an airport in Afghanistan. Those who died ranged in age from 20 to 31, and came from the Golden States and Massachusetts and states in between.

Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of all the soldiers.

"Our heroic troops gave their lives to protect others amid harrowing and dangerous conditions, and we will never forget their bravery and selfless sacrifice in service to our nation," Newsom said in a statement over the weekend.

Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga was among the latest to be reported dead, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Saturday. Merola died supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel non-combative evacuations in Kabul.

Two other Marines from Riverside County were previously confirmed dead — Kareem Mae'Lee Grant Nikoui, a lance corporal and Cpl. Hunter Lope. All three men were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton. Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee of Roseville was also confirmed among those killed in the attack.

A suicide bomber reportedly ignited explosives at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul Thursday, where at least 170 people died.

The remains of nine Marines and one sailor based at Camp Pendleton were draped in American flags Sunday at Dover Air Force Base as President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with some of the fallen troops' families.

The U.S. service members based in Camp Pendleton were among the 13 killed in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. They died supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel non-combative evacuations on Aug. 26 in Afghanistan.

Assigned to Camp Pendleton were:

• Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah
• Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio
• Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Neb.
• Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Ind.
• Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Mo.
• Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas
• Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyo.
• Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga
• Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui. 20, of Norco.
• Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio

READ MORE: 13 U.S. Service Members Killed In Kabul: Names Released

Merola, a graduate of Los Osos High School, was honored on Friday at the school's first football game of the season, where students wore red, white and blue.

On Saturday morning, a GoFundMe campaign had raised $21,800 for Merola.

"Dylan was a beloved son, brother, grandson, great grandson, nephew, a great friend, and a brave soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice at the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the evacuation," Joseph Matsuoka wrote in the fundraiser.

Gee posted a photo of herself on Instagram, cradling an Afghan infant just days before her death. "I love my job," she captioned the photo.

Gee served as a maintenance technician with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to a report by military publication Stars and Stripes. She was described by colleagues as a "model marine."

"She had a name. She was doing God's work…..a warrior," Capt. Karen Holliday said in a post on her personal Facebook page, Stars and Stripes reported. "Searching [sic] Afghan women and children trying to get out of the country."

The city of Norco mourned Nikoui, 20, this week.

"The U.S. Marine, who graduated from Norco High School in 2019 and served in JROTC, was committed to serving his country and is survived by his mother, father and siblings," city officials said. "Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui's name will be enshrined on the `Lest We Forget Wall' at the George A. Ingalls Veterans Memorial Plaza, which honors Norconians who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation."

Norco Mayor Kevin Bash said Nikoui died helping to save children and families of Afghans who had aided the U.S. government.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, praised Nikoui for his service, saying "words are incapable of expressing our grief and mourning for the loss of Lance Cpl. Nikoui and the other U.S. service members who were killed."

"As a proud Marine, Lance Cpl. Nikoui and his unit put themselves in harm's way in order to provide safety to others. That's the definition of courage," Calvert said. "That's the embodiment of the Marine Corps motto, 'Semper Fidelis.' I have spoken to the Nikoui family and expressed my condolences. The burden they bear is unimaginable."

The Lopez family asked that donations in Hunter's memory be made to the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation in the name of the Lopez family. Donations can be sent to 21810 Cactus Ave., Riverside, CA 92518.

Thursday's bombing, blamed on an Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State group, marked one of the most lethal terror attacks the country has ever seen. U.S. officials said it was also the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since 2011.

"The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others," President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday. "Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far."

The Associated Press, City News Service and Patch staffer Megan Verhelst contributed to this report.