(TheProudRepublic.com) – In a commendable and much-needed decision, lawmakers gathered at the United States Capitol to honor the 13 US service members who died in the 2021 Abbey Gate attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, by bestowing upon them the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor Congress can grant.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who presented the medals on Tuesday, also issued an apology to the bereaved families for the circumstances that led to their loved ones’ deaths during an ISIS-K suicide bombing amid the turmoil of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in late August 2021.
“Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to these service members and those here today who were with them in Kabul. We also owe them something deeper, and that is an apology to the families who are here. I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them. We are sorry,” Johnson stated in his opening remarks.
“The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops. Those fallen and wounded at Abbey Gate deserved our best efforts, and the families who have been left to pick up the pieces continue to deserve transparency and appreciation and recognition to you and the families who are not here. I can promise you this, you are not alone in shouldering the burdens from that day. And although we can never fully measure your loss, we can and we must memorialize the ultimate sacrifice that was paid,” he elaborated.
The suicide attack at Abbey Gate, which claimed the lives of 175 civilians as well, has become emblematic of the chaotic American exit from Afghanistan, a conflict initiated over two decades ago in response to the September 11 attacks.
On Sunday, Congressional Republicans disseminated a report from their investigation into the hasty departure, attributing significant fault to the Biden administration and the State Department for being “willfully blind” to the escalating security threats in Kabul prior to the emergency evacuation.
During the ceremony on Tuesday, other legislators echoed Johnson’s sentiments, commending the valor of those who perished.
“We reverently honor the 13 patriots who have fallen in a war zone with tremendous valor,” expressed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
“In an instant, their heroic service became an ultimate and eternal sacrifice,” remarked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared, “It now falls on us…to ensure the sacrifices of all our service members were not in vain.”
“Their love for this country was greater than the threats it faced. A big part of us dies with our children,” commented Coral Doolittle, mother of the late Humberto “Bert” Sanchez.
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