August 26 is the first anniversary of the terrorist bombing attack on the Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in which 13 of our military members were killed. About 170 Afghans were also killed in the attack and dozens of American troops were injured in the blast.
Here are the 13 who were killed.
The Marines:- Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming- 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. 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. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California- Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California
Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, OhioArmy Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee
You can see more about them here.
The families are furious at the way Joe Biden handled what happened in Afghanistan, which they feel led to the deaths of their loved ones. They felt that among other things, he disrespected them when he kept checking his watch at the dignified transfer ceremony last year.
Christy Shamblin, the mother of Sgt. Nicole Gee said:
“This is the very attitude that we received at Dover Air Force Base when we received our heroes home and the president continued to look at his watch. The attitude we have received is that our loved ones were an acceptable loss, and that’s just obviously mind-blowing to us.”
Shana Chappell, Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui’s mother, said that during their meeting, Biden wanted to talk about the death of his son more than hers.
But apart from that meeting when they received the bodies, there’s been nothing.
“We didn’t hear one single word from the administration — not a single word — and still [haven’t],” Hoover’s father, also named Darin, said. “Not that we would take it because of the way that this happened. Six months into it … the administration sent out letters to the families. And it was a canned letter. Everybody’s was exactly the same. They photocopied it, or it appears as though they photocopied it, and then just stamped Mr. Biden’s name to it. And that was it. Nothing personal.”
While the White House issued a pro forma written statement (which is about the most they have done in a year), Biden admitted that he did nothing at all to talk to or reach out to the families on Friday.
You can see it doesn’t even concern him at all.
Instead of talking to the families, Biden was out the door to appear with Jay Leno, as we reported. Priorities.
It didn’t go unnoticed, as one of the dads who lost his child called going on Leno insensitive and tone-deaf.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed this was “very personal” to Biden. So personal he couldn’t be bothered to talk to the families or follow up on holding anyone accountable for the attack in a year.
I am not a fan of CNN’s Jake Tapper but this was one great take from him saying that if Biden truly cared, he’d show it by his actions with the families and following up on the attack.
But meeting with Jay Leno shows exactly what Biden cares about.