Gold Star families of U.S. service members who tragically lost their lives during the flawed Afghanistan withdrawal by the Biden administration voiced their thoughts at a public gathering in California on Monday.
A grieving father, Darin Hoover, whose Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, aged 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was among the fallen, called for the resignation of Democrat President Joe Biden and several other officials.
Hoover expressed his sentiments as follows:
“I’m addressing Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, General Milley, General McKenzie, Lt. Col. Whitehead — who couldn’t authorize the snipers to neutralize the bomber before he triggered his explosives — and ultimately, the president.
“Act with the same courage as our son: Show maturity.
“Acknowledge your errors,” Hoover emphasized.
“Learn from them to prevent any recurrence of this tragedy.
“All of you should step down immediately.
“Our sons and daughters embody more integrity in their small fingers than the entirety of your combined efforts.”
Cheryl Rex, mother of Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, aged 20, another Marine who lost his life, shared her perspective:
“I was being given misleading information.
“While this colonel was detailing Dylan’s injuries, he was characterizing the account as fitting a right-handed individual.
“My son’s distinctive trait was his left-handedness, so when I inquired, ‘How could my son sustain wounds on the opposite side of his body than he was illustrating?’ he had no response, prompting the conversation to shift to the JAG [Judge Advocate General] to change the topic.”
Darin Hoover, father of fallen Marine Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, Jr., tells Biden over the botched Afghanistan withdrawal:
"Do what our son did — be a grown ass man. Admit to your mistakes … resign immediately." pic.twitter.com/cgTi7TDlwe
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2023
Below are the names of the U.S. Service members killed by the suicide bomber in Kabul:
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California.
Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee.
Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska.
Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana.
Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California.
Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming.
Alicia Lopez, mother of fallen Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, reads the names of the 13 U.S. servicemembers killed in Biden's botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
NEVER FORGET THESE HEROES:
Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover
Sgt. Nicole Gee
Sgt. Johanny Pichardo
Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss
Cpl.… pic.twitter.com/jhFoz8hEr9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2023