[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 212 (Wednesday, December 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING AMERICAN HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2021

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, 2021 will tragically be 
remembered for the murders at Kabul International Airport of American 
Heroes:
  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas;
  Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California;
  Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah;
  Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee;
  Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California;
  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, Jackson, Wyoming;
  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, 
California;
  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California;
  Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska;
  Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, Lawrence, 
Massachusetts;
  Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22, Logansport, Indiana;
  Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri; 
and
  Navy Hospitalman Maxton Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.
  As a military parent of four sons who have served overseas, I cannot 
imagine what their grief-stricken families are going through during 
this Christmas season.
  The decision of the President and the Vice-President in April to 
abandon the people of Afghanistan and appease the Taliban/Al-Qaeda 
terrorists led to the deaths of these American Heroes.
  Sadly, this most catastrophic course of action will clearly shift 
terrorist suicide bombers from the Afghanistan safe haven to American 
neighborhoods.
  The Global War on Terrorism continues with murderous attacks in New 
Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, Uganda, Israel, and at Afghan 
Mosques.
  The Democrat elite think they are smarter than everyone, and think 
Democrat voters and Democrat media are ignorant to believe that ``the 
United States ended 20 years of war.'' They will gruesomely discover 
that now the targets are here at home.
  In conclusion, God Bless our troops, who successfully protected 
America for 20 years, as the Global War on Terrorism continues moving 
from the Afghanistan safe haven to America.

                          ____________________