Fourth Anniversary of the Attack at Abbey Gate, 2025
On one of the darkest days in our Nation’s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil Jihadi terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan — killing 13 heroes of our United States Armed Forces and shattering the hearts of Americans and our allies. As our Nation remembers this atroc
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
On one of the darkest days in our Nation’s history, 4 years ago, the gates of hell sprung open when an evil Jihadi terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan — killing 13 heroes of our United States Armed Forces and shattering the hearts of Americans and our allies. As our Nation remembers this atrocious attack, we honor the memory of every brave warrior who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We join in grief with the families who senselessly lost a loved one, and we renew our solemn pledge to our 13 fallen patriots — we will never forget you; we will never forsake you; and your memory will live on forever.
On July 2, 2021, as an empowered Taliban was in the midst of waging a civil war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden began a disastrous withdrawal from Bagram Airfield in the middle of the night without alerting Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. As a direct result of the Biden Administration’s reckless political stunt designed to claim victory on the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001, our men and women in uniform were left without a defensible base of operations, allowing the Taliban to free thousands of bloodthirsty terrorists and criminals held captive at Bagram prison.
At exactly 5:36pm on August 26, 2021, a barbaric ISIS-K terrorist — one of the prisoners set free by the Taliban less than two months earlier — detonated a suicide bomb at a civilian gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the main entry point for an evacuation operation. As a result, 13 brave American service members were killed, 45 were wounded, and more than 160 civilians were injured, resulting in the single deadliest day for United States forces in a decade.
In what will be remembered as one of the most shameful and heartbreaking moments in our Nation’s collective memory, Joe Biden checked his watch — and time stood still — as a Sailor, Soldier, and 11 Marines returned home in flag-draped coffins, solemnly escorted by their brothers and sisters in arms. We will never forget the names of the 13 brave souls who shed their blood for our Nation: Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover, USMC; Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, USMC; Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, USMC; Corporal Hunter Lopez, USMC; Corporal Daegan W. Page, USMC; Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, USMC; Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza, USMC; Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz, USMC; Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum, USMC; Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola, USMC; Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui, USMC; Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, USN; and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, USA.