Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza; Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee; Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover; Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss; Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez; Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum; Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola; Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui; Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyler Page; Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario; Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez; Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz; Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak.

During his remarks Monday, Kingfisher American Legion Post 5 Commander Joe Bliss Jr. named each of the 13 U.S. servicemembers who died in the bombing last August at the Kabul airport.

“Their mission was noble; evacuate desperate civilians yearning to escape a brutal regime,” Bliss said.

“They will not be the last American heroes to make such a sacrifice, but they represent the best of a generation.

“They came from every background, yet they shared a common goal – to serve America and make life better for others.”

Bliss was the keynote speaker at the annual Memorial Day service at Kingfisher Cemetery, organized each year by the Kingfisher American Legion Post No. 5.

Bliss is an eight-year U.S. Air Force veteran who earned a Humanitarian Ribbon and the Air Force Achievement Medal for his disaster relief work after Hurricane Katrina.

He specialized in cryptographic and switching systems and served in Ecuador and England, where he was promoted to staff sergeant.

He and his wife Jaryn have four children, Abbygail, Sophia, Isabella and Morrigan.

“From the American Revolution to the global War on Terrorism, more than 1 million American veterans have made the supreme sacrifice,” Bliss said in his remarks. “They died so that we could continue to cherish the things they loved – God, country and family.

“Memorial Day is not about picnics and parades – though there is nothing wrong with enjoying and celebrating our American way of life.

“Memorial Day is about gratitude and remembrance. It is about honoring the men and women who made it possible for us to gather here today in peace.”

His comments followed an invocation by Post 5 Chaplain John Hopkins and the National Anthem, performed by Vortex, an acappella quartet whose repertoire also included “Oklahoma” and a patriotic medley.

Following remarks by Bliss, he and American Legion Auxiliary President Gladys Hopkins laid wreaths at the base of the memorial for the Unknown Soldier.

An honor guard led by Ken Tollison and consisting of John Garrett, Larry Talbot, Bryan Tollison, Charles Storm, Carl Storm, William Storm and Mark Kirchner fired 21 volleys in the traditional Salute to the Dead.

(Carl Storm and William Storm, Charles Storm’s son and grandson, graciously filled in for missing members of the honor guard.)

The service ended with “Taps,” performed by Brenden Hill, recent Kingfisher High School graduate.