Daines Joins House and Senate Leadership in Presenting Congressional Gold Medal to Families of 13 Service Members Killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan

• September 10, 2024

Daines Bill Posthumously Awards Congressional Gold Medal to Fallen Service Members

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda that honored the 13 American service members who were killed in the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Daines introduced the bill to honor these brave men and women with the Congressional Gold Medal and today their families were presented with the medal. Read Senator Daines' remarks at the ceremony below.

Download photos here and watch Daines' full remarks here.

Daines' remarks as prepared for delivery:

Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, members of the Cabinet, honored guests and most of all, to our Gold Star families of the 13 fallen, thank you for being here. We are honored by your presence.

I'm U.S. Senator Steve Daines from Montana.

I am a husband, a father, and a grandfather.

I am also the son of a U.S. Marine.

In raising me, my dad taught me the motto of the Marine Corps: "Semper Fi."

Always Faithful.

He also taught me the values of service and sacrifice to our great country.

The values my Marine Corps dad instilled in me were my motivation to honor the memories of those who served.

Those values are what inspired me to introduce the legislation awarding Congress' highest honor to the 13 brave servicemembers who sacrificed for our country on August 26, 2021, at Abbey Gate.

I remember that day well. It was a beautiful summer day in Montana.

My wife and I were in my pickup, traveling across the western part of our state headed to an event when the news broke on the radio.

My immediate response was to call my dad.

My father is 85 and my mom is 82, and they both live in Montana.

So I called my dad's cell phone. My dad is a tough Marine, but he didn't pick up the phone. My mom did.

I said, "Mom, have you heard the news of what happened in Afghanistan?"

My mom said, "We heard it. Your dad's heard it."

I said, "Can I talk to Dad?"

She said, "He can't talk right now."

To the families here today, the loved ones you lost at Abbey Gate represent the values of service and sacrifice to a cause bigger than themselves.

I know each of you each played an important role in instilling those values in your sons and daughters.

And for that reason they represent the best of our country.

And because of the important role you played in their lives, you represent those values too.

And therefore each one of you represent the best of our country as well.

As we stand here today, it is impossible for me to understand the pain of your loss. I've never had to go through what you are going through.

But I do know when pain runs so deep, words are often inadequate.

With that in mind, I will speak to the rest of the audience here today: My fellow members of Congress, others who are guests and those who may be watching:

It was their duty to serve.

It is our duty to remember.

In proclaiming the first Memorial Day in 1868, General John Logan wrote:

"Let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved;

"let us in this solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us

"a sacred charge upon the Nation's gratitude - the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan."

It is our duty to remember the service, the sacrifice and the faithfulness of the 13 brave men and women who fell that day but it is also our duty to remember their loved ones as well.

Because in remembering and honoring the memory of the fallen, we provide their families comfort.

Today is an important step on that journey.

The 13 who fell will join such distinguished heroes as George Washington, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan in receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.

On behalf of a grateful nation, we thank your sons and daughters for their service.

And we thank you for the values and character you instilled in them that led them to give the last full measure of devotion.

It led them into harm's way for the cause of freedom and the country they loved.

There is no higher calling.

There is no greater service.

There is no greater sacrifice.

Thank you for being here today. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Background:

On August 26, 2021, during the final days of the Afghanistan withdrawal, a ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked the Hamid Karzai International Airport, tragically leaving 13 U.S. service members dead.

The following service members made the ultimate sacrifice that day. Their bravery and courage will never be forgotten.

Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover
Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo
Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee
Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez
Marine Cpl. Daegan Page
Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez
Marine Lance Cpl. David Espinoza
Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz
Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum
Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola
Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui
Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton Soviak
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss

Daines introduced the bill to honor the servicemembers in September 2021 after the deadly attack. Read the legislation here.

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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke