Heroes' homecoming: Three Marines among the 13 US troops killed in ISIS-K suicide blast are honored by their grieving communities who line the streets as their remains return home to Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska in solemn processions
The remains of three of the Marines killed in an ISIS-K suicide blast have returned home, with huge crowds lining the streets to honor the fallen heroes in Texas, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
Homecoming processions were held on Friday for Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum in Jackson, Wyoming; Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza in Laredo, Texas; and Cpl. Daegan Page in Omaha, Nebraska.
They were among the 13 US troops killed in the suicide attack on August 26, as they were helping to screen Afghans and others at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport.
At least 169 Afghans were also killed in the bombing, as they struggled to get into the airport and on flights out of the country in the final days of the evacuation.
All 13 slain troops, who included 11 Marines, one Army staff sergeant, and one Navy corpsman, have been posthumously awarded Purple Hearts, the oldest US military award still given to American service members.
'Too young to go': Veterans pay respect to Cpl. Daegan Page in Omaha
Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska
In Omaha, crowds of thousands paid solemn respects as the remains of 23-year-old Page were transported in a procession to Braman Mortuary.
Veterans and community members lined the streets as police motorcycles led the procession. Firefighters used ladder trucks to hang huge American flags over the route.
Marine veteran Don Gustafson stood along the route, waving the Marine Corps flag to show support for Page's family.
'He was protecting our country and that's part of it,' Gustafson told KETV. 'Freedom ain't free and he paid the ultimate price for it. I'm proud to be one of us.'
The Marine veteran said Page's death brought back memories from his own service in the 1970s.
'They're just too young, too young to go,' Gustafson said.
In a statement following the procession, Page's family said it was an 'amazing honor to bring Daegan home to the open arms of his hometown.'
'We wish we could have stopped and thanked every person who took time out of their day to pay their respects to Daegan,' the family said.
People line Abbot Drive to pay their respects to Marine Cpl. Daegan Page as the procession carrying his body drives through Omaha on Friday. Page was one of 13 U.S. service members killed Aug. 26 in the bombing at the Kabul airport
Dean Mathisen, a U.S. Army veteran, salutes, as Omaha Fire and Police Department officials raise an American Flag before Marine Cpl. Daegan Page's procession passes by on the 96th Street bridge over Interstate 80 on Friday
Kris Smith, left, and her sister Kerry Vuagniaux hang up an American flag before Page's homecoming procession passes
The family statement continued: 'We want you to know we saw all of you - police officers, firefighters, school children, veterans, service members, families, the brave souls camped out on every overpass, the construction workers along I-80 at 84th Street, the crowds all down Millard Avenue, the Patriot Guard riders, and all the thousands of people who waved flags, held signs, and even brought their dogs to salute Daegan. He would have been amazed.'
'Daegan's homecoming was truly a hero's welcome. Our hearts are still broken, but we are the lucky few who know what it is like to receive a hug from the city of Omaha,' the family added, expressing heartfelt thanks for all who turned out to express support.
Page grew up in Omaha and Red Oak, Iowa. He enjoyed playing hockey for Omaha Westside in the local hockey club and was a diehard Chicago Blackhawks fan.
He also loved hunting and spending time outside with his father.
His family said he was a longtime Boy Scout who was eager to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
Funeral services for Page will be held on Friday, September 17 10am at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at Omaha National Cemetery.
Darlene Weil waits for the processional of Marine Cpl. Daegan Page on Friday in Omaha. Thousands of people lined the procession route along Omaha streets on Friday afternoon to pay tribute to the fallen hero
Marine Cpl. Daegan Page's procession passes by the 96th Street bridge over Interstate 80 on Friday in Omaha
People pay their respects as the hearse carrying the body of Marine Cpl. Daegan Page arrives at Braman Mortuary in Omaha
Huge crowds gathered to pay their respects, and Page's family said it was an 'amazing honor to bring Daegan home to the open arms of his hometown'
Danielle Bohaty, of Omaha, waits for the procession for Marine Cpl. Daegan Page near 144th and Madison Streets in Omaha
Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza receives a hero's welcome in Texas
Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza, 20, of Laredo, Texas
Veterans, members of law enforcement, and everyday members of the community paid their respects to 20-year-old Espinoza as his remains arrived home in Laredo.
The Marine's family first gathered at the Laredo airport, where a Marine honor guard solemnly transferred the casket from a plane to a waiting hearse.
Catholic Bishop James A. Tamayo joined the family to console them as they watched the transfer.
A procession led by a dozen police motorcycles then made its way from the airport to Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels, leading the hearse and the fallen Marine's family.
Supporters lined the route, waving US flags and the emblem of the United States Marine Corps.
Espinoza's mother, Elizabeth Holguin, previously told DailyMail.com: 'He was a very good person. He served his country. He helped in any way he could. He was there (in Afghanistan), helping innocent people.'
This was his second deployment; he previously made a trip to the Middle East and arrived in Afghanistan about a week before he was killed.
Holguin said she was uneasy about him being deployed there. 'I prayed every day,' she said.
A United States Marine salutes as the body of Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza is taken off a plane on Friday as his body is returned to Laredo, Texas. Espinoza was one of 13 US service members killed Aug. 26 in the bombing at the Kabul airport
Bishop James A. Tamayo joins the family of Espinoza as they watch the arrival of a plane carrying his remains
The family of Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza approaches Espinoza's casket as it arrives Friday in Laredo
A United States Marine honor guard detail moves the body of Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza during a Dignified Transfer to the hearse on Friday as his body is returned to Laredo, Texas
Family members look on as the Marine Honor Guard detail completes the Dignified Transfer into the waiting hearse
He is one of four children; he is not married and has no children. The mom last spoke with him Tuesday.
'I just told him to be careful, that I was worried about him and I couldn't wait for him to come back,' Holguin said.
'He told me he was fine and not to worry…. He was brave. If he was scared, he didn't show it.'
She said she holds no animosity toward the president, saying her son 'wanted to be there.'
Espinoza will lie in repose at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapels from 8am until midnight on Sunday.
Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, September 13, 2021, at St. Patrick Catholic Church beginning at noon, and will be livestreamed for the public to view.
Interment with full military honors by the US Marine Corps Honor Guard will follow at the Laredo City Cemetery.
Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza's hearse is escorted by the Laredo Police Department on Del Mar boulevard Friday
City of Laredo Fire Department honors Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza with a flag over a hearse carrying his body as it travels down McPherson Avenue on Friday
City of Laredo Fire Department personnel salute as the hearse carrying Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza passes
Hundreds line the streets of Jackson to honor Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum
Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming
In Wyoming, a massive procession escorted the remains of 20-year-old McCollum through the streets of Jackson, which were lined with hundreds of community members.
The procession wound through downtown Jackson from the Jackson Hole Airport, where McCollum's casket arrived at 4.05pm, to the Valley Mortuary funeral home.
Escorting the hearse was a large contingent of police, first responders, and military vehicles. McCollum's family traveled in the procession directly behind the hearse.
Police Chief Michelle Weber held her hat over her heart as the hearse passed by.
McCollum was expecting to become a father and was pictured with his pregnant wife shortly before deploying to Afghanistan in April.
Cheyenne McCollum, Rylee's sister, told DailyMail.com her brother had wanted to be a Marine since he was a toddler – and that his own baby is due in just a few weeks.
'Rylee was an amazing, man with a passion for the Marines. He was a son, a brother, a husband and a father with a baby due in just 3 weeks,' she said.
Motorcycle riders accompany the hearse containing the remains of marine Rylee McCollum on Friday in Jackson, Wyoming. McCollum was one of 13 US troops killed in Kabul on August 26, 2021, the last casualties of a 20 year long Afghan war
Mourners wait for a procession in honor of marine Rylee McCollum on Friday in Jackson, Wyoming
The procession wound through downtown Jackson from the Jackson Hole Airport, where McCollum's casket arrived at 4.05pm, the the Valley Mortuary funeral home
McCollum was expecting to become a father within weeks, and had wanted to be a Marine since boyhood
'He wanted to be a Marine his whole life and carried around his rifle in his diapers and cowboy boots.
'He was determined to be in infantry and this was his first deployment. Rylee was sent to Afghanistan when the evac began. Rylee was manning the check point when the suicide bomb went off.
'Rylee wanted to be a history teacher and a wrestling coach when he finished serving his country. He's a tough, kind, loving kid who made an impact on everyone he met. His joke and wit brought so much joy.
'To his friends and teammates and coaches, he was family. Rylee will always be a hero not just for the ultimate sacrifice he made for our country but for the way he impacted every life around him for the better. Making us stronger, kinder, teaching us to love deeper. We love you Rylee.'
Rylee McCollum graduated from Summit Innovations School in Jackson in 2019.
Citizen's Mounted Patrol Unit members Julie Sandretto and Gloria Courser pay their respects to Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum during a procession in Jackson on Friday
Mourners Jenna Christie (C) and Enna Stone (R) wait for a procession in honor of Marine Rylee McCollum on Friday
Firefighters prepare to salute Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum during his homecoming procession in Jackson on Friday
Mourners wait for a procession in honor of marine, Rylee McCollum on September 10, 2021 in Jackson, Wyoming
The hearse carrying McCollum's remains passes under a flag displayed by firefighters left. Right, Arianna Baker, 17, pays her respects during the procession
Community members honor Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum during a procession in Jackson, Wyoming on Friday
Hundreds gathered and waved American flags in a show of support for McCollum's family
McCollum's parents are among the family members of the slain troops who have spoken out harshly to criticize President Joe Biden.
The Marine's father refused to meet with Biden during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Base.
'I had no desire to meet with the president,' father Jim McCollum told Fox News. 'Everything he's done [with the withdrawal from Afghanistan], every step along the way has been absolutely backwards.'
'A high school kid could make better decisions than they've made in this,' he said.
The funeral service date for Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum has not yet been set.
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