It’s been three years since 11 Marines and two other service members died in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
But local residents haven’t forgotten those who died that day — especially the three who hailed from the Inland Empire.
A candlelight vigil was held Monday night, Aug. 26 — on the three-year anniversary of the attack — in Norco, the hometown of one of the Marines, Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui.
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It was staged at The Fallen 13 Memorial Flower Garden in a Norco shopping center on Sixth Street. Family members of the fallen, service members and others attended.
In addition to Nikoui, 20, Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, who grew up in Indio; and U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola; of Rancho Cucamonga, died in the attack.
