A community in Southern California paid tribute to a young Marine who was one of 13 U.S. servicemen killed in Thursday’s suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Marine Corps Cpl Lance. Dylan Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Is praised by his family, friends and neighbors for his generosity and bravery. Merola was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Cheryl Merola, his mother, told Los Angeles affiliate CBS that her son was “kind, loving” and “would give anything to anyone.”
In an on-camera interview with LA TV, she recalled Dylan’s last phone message: “‘Mom, I won’t be able to talk to you for a little while. We’re being sent to another place. I love you and I’ll talk to you as soon as I get home. ‘”
Los Osos high school Merola’s alma mater remembered him before the start of Friday’s soccer game, the CBS affiliate reported.
U.S. Representative Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., Whose district includes Rancho Cucamonga, expressed sorrow over Merola’s death and noted the loss of two other California Inland Empire servicemen, the Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio and Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, from Norco.
He tweeted: “My deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Lance Corporal Merola, as well as to the families of all the servicemen who lost their lives in this attack. My heart is heavy to know that three families from the Inland Empire are in mourning, and I know our community stands by their side.
Joseph Matsuoka, a friend of Dylan Merola, set up a GoFundMe page to pay for funeral expenses, citing the Marine’s bravery.
“Dylan was a son, a brother, a grandson, a great-grandson, a nephew, a great and beloved friend,… who made the ultimate sacrifice at the gate of the Abbey of the international airport Hamid Karzai during the evacuation. Help us provide him with the funeral he deserves for serving his country with the greatest honor, “the page said.
The page, created Friday with a fundraising goal of $ 15,000, had received more than $ 27,000 by Saturday night.
