Community veterans honor the 13 fallen U.S. troops in Kabul
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Pictured: Gordan Durham, Ben Apo, Pat Lenard, Mike Spurgeon, Dave Schuman, Frank Durham, Mike O'Brian, Ron McLnay and Jim Thompson.
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Members of the VFW brought one beer to a table in front of the flag, lit a candle, saluted the flag and troop they were honoring, as the names of the fallen were read out loud.
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Pat Lenard paying respect and saluting the fallen 13.
(Photo by Victor Corral Martinez) Mike O'Brian saluting the fallen 13.
BONNERS FERRY — Community residents and veterans came together recently to honor the 13 fallen U.S. troops in Kabul.
Late August, two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghan citizens rushing to Kabul’s airport; the attacks killed at least 60 Afghans, and 13 U.S. troops, Afghan and U.S. officials said.
The attacks and deaths have many Americans wanting to show support for the 13 fallen troops. VFW Post Commander Ben Apo, and resident Doreen O’Brien, grieved and angered, felt compelled to show support for those lives lost.
“Any military veteran you ask, they’re upset about it because of the way it was done and how they were lost,” Apo said. “That is why we’re commemorating, memorializing the 13 fallen, because they didn’t have to die.”
According to Apo, Afghanistan veterans are upset and hurt about the war that consumed so many lives and the withdrawal.
“The suicide and crisis lines have been blowing up since that day,” Apo said. “It’s triggering a lot of flashbacks and PTSD.”
Apo has been working to reach out to veterans involved in Afghanistan and Vietnam and who are hurt. He’s making sure there is someone that they can talk to and relate to, adding his job now as commander of the VFW is to make sure those veterans “see the next sunset.”
To Apo, the community of Boundary County is supportive of the veteran community and stated the community had done everything they could to show support to veterans.
“This is an absolutely great town for a veteran to be living in,” Apo said.
The commemoration event was supported by O’Brien, who Apo has stated contributed a lot to the veteran community and continues to help.
Members of the VFW brought one beer to a table in front of the flag, lit a candle, saluted the flag and troop they were honoring, as the names of the fallen were read out loud.
The amount of sadness and hurt felt among many of the veterans participating was visibly showcased as veterans paid their respects holding tears back and saluting their fallen brothers and sisters.
O’Brien said that many lives were lost and is heartbroken and devastated; 11 of the troops who died were Marines, a branch close to her.
“I’m married to a Marine; they announced 11 Marines were killed, and they’re all the ages of my grandchildren, O’Brien said.
O’Brien has multiple family members in the armed forces and a grandson who served in Afghanistan and is aware that it could have potentially been her grandson who died.
Feeling the need to show her respect in remembrance of those fallen troops, O’Brien reached out to Apo to commemorate the troops who died in Kabul.
“20 years of the war started, these young people died at the last day of that war, don’t forget the first veteran that died and don’t forget the last," O’Brien said.
