Last Updated on August 29, 2021 by Cass County Online
On August 28, 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana died August 26, 2021 as the result of an enemy attack while supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Kabul, Afghanistan.
We have posted the statements from the White House below.
We join our community in mourning and extend our condolences to everyone affected.
Additional information on our website can be found here.
A Proclamation Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan
SOURCE: White House Presidential Action
August 26, 2021
As a mark of respect for the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 30, 2021. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
Statement by President Joe Biden on the Evacuation Mission in Kabul
August 28, 2021
This morning, I met with my national security team in Washington and my commanders in the field. We discussed the strike that U.S. forces took last night against the terrorist group ISIS-K in Afghanistan. I said we would go after the group responsible for the attack on our troops and innocent civilians in Kabul, and we have. This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay. Whenever anyone seeks to harm the United States or attack our troops, we will respond. That will never be in doubt. I thanked General McKenzie for his leadership of that mission, and for his commitment to the safety of our troops in Afghanistan.
The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high. Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours. I directed them to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground. They assured me that they did, and that they could take these measures while completing the mission and safely retrograding our personnel.
Despite the treacherous situation in Kabul, we are continuing to evacuate civilians. Yesterday, we brought out another 6,800 people, including hundreds of Americans. And today, we discussed the ongoing preparations to help people continue to leave Afghanistan after our military departs.
The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others. Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far. May God protect our troops and all those standing watch in these dangerous days.
President and First Lady travel to Dover Air Force Base
The White House says the President and First Lady will meet with the families of fallen American service members on Sunday, August 29 at Dover Air Force Base. At noon, they will participate in a dignified transfer.
According to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations website:
A solemn dignified transfer of remains is conducted upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del., to honor those who have given their lives in the service of our cohttps://www.mortuary.af.mil/About-Us/Dignified-Transfer/untry.
A dignified transfer is the process by which, upon the return from the theater of operations to the United States, the remains of fallen military members are transferred from the aircraft to an awaiting vehicle. The remains will then be transferred to the mortuary facility located at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Dover AFB, Del. The dignified transfer is not a ceremony; rather, it is a solemn movement of the transfer case by a carry team composed of military personnel from the fallen member’s respective service. A dignified transfer is conducted for every U.S. military member who dies in the theater of operation while in the service of their country. A senior ranking officer of the fallen member’s service presides over each dignified transfer.
The sequence of the dignified transfer starts with the fallen being returned to Dover AFB by the most expedient means possible, which typically includes a stop at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is the Department of Defense’s policy, and AFMAO’s mission, to return America’s fallen to their loved ones as quickly as possible. Once the aircraft lands at Dover AFB, service-specific carry teams remove the transfer cases individually from the aircraft and move them to an awaiting transfer vehicle. The vehicle(s) then transport the fallen to the mortuary facility for positive identification by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and preparation for their final resting place.