Sponsor urges creation of "Abigail Remembrance Day" to honor 13 U.S. service members killed at Kabul airport
Summary
At a first hearing on Senate Bill 244, an unnamed sponsor urged the committee to designate Aug. 26 as Abigail Remembrance Day to honor U.S. service members and others killed in the Aug. 26, 2021 attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport. The sponsor read the names of 13 U.S. service members who died and cited casualty figures from the attack.
An unnamed sponsor presented sponsor testimony at the first hearing on Senate Bill 244, asking the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee to designate Aug. 26 as "Abigail Remembrance Day," commemorating the Aug. 26, 2021 attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
The sponsor told the committee that in August 2021, crowds at Hamid Karzai International Airport sought to evacuate ahead of the Taliban's capture of Kabul. The sponsor said that on Aug. 26, an attack near Abbey Gate involved a suicide bomber and subsequent gunfire, and offered casualty figures: "169 Afghan civilian died, more than 150 were injured, and 13 U.S. troops tragically lost their lives," and argued the names of the 13 Americans "should not be forgotten."
The sponsor read the names of the 13 U.S. service members listed in the hearing record, including Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Dagan W. Page, Cpl. Umberto A. Sanchez, LCpl. David L. Espinosa, LCpl. Jared M. Schmidt, LCpl. Riley J. McCollum, LCpl. Dylan R. Marola, LCpl. Kareem M. Nikui, Petty Officer 3rd Class Maxton W. Soviac (identified in testimony as an Ohioan), and Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Nous, among others. The sponsor described ongoing efforts by veterans and family members to preserve the memory of those who died.
Committee members thanked the sponsor for the testimony and for reading the names. The chair concluded the first hearing on S.B. 244; no committee vote occurred during the session.
