Ceremony honors Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 12 other service members killed in Kabul

Kirsten Adair, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
·2 min read

Oct. 30—Shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday, 14 U.S. flags adorned American Legion Post 60 in Logansport. The flags have much deeper meaning than just representing America, however; aside from the Betsy Ross flag, each of the remaining 13 flags represents one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021.

The flags were retrieved from Ohio this week by members of the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders and driven to Logansport on Saturday morning. The flags have traveled from coast to coast, starting in California and stopping at the hometowns of the fallen soldiers.

"It was just so emotional when they talked to me the first time," said Coral Briseno, the mother of fallen Marine Corporal Humberto Sanchez. "The first and most important thing is seeing a flag flying in honor of the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice. I thought it was a really good idea."

After a speech from Russ Bauer, senior ride captain of the North East Division of Patriot Guard Riders, the names of each service member were read and their flags ceremonially displayed inside the Legion. They will remain there all week, open to the public, until they are transported to their permanent home at the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial in Marseilles, IL.

"There's two ways a soldier will pass," said Scott "Scooter" Kowalksy, a Gold Star family member. Gold Star families are families who have lost members in war.

"One is physical, and the other one is when people don't remember their name anymore. That's why we do this, so they're always remembered."

The sentiment of remembering the service members lost in Kabul and honoring their memories was at the forefront of the ceremony. Bauer mentioned how some older veterans were not honored after coming home from the Vietnam War and said his mission now is to ensure that service members and their families feel cared about and supported.

"The truth is, we're here for Coral and Humberto because of two words: never forget," he told those gathered at the ceremony. "Never forget those two words. Never forget."