Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) will present the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 American servicemembers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, he announced exclusively to the Washington Reporter on the third anniversary of the attack. Family members of all 13 individuals will accept the medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, next month on behalf of their loved ones. 

“The Gold Medal is an extreme honor for our kids, they’re in very, very select company,” Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, told the Reporter. “It’s quite an eclectic group of individuals who are on that list, but it just goes to the heart of what our kids accomplished: the greatest airlift in the history of the United States, and possibly in the world. It goes to the heart and the grit that they showed. They made the best of a bad situation, and they came out on top, they came out heroes.” 

Johnson, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.), and Rep. Lisa McClain (R., Mich.), will present the medals on September 10 to the family members of those killed by an ISIS-K suicide attacker. The attacker was released by the Taliban following President Joe Biden administration’s withdrawal from Bagram Air Base.

Daines and McClain sponsored the legislation to posthumously award the 13 servicemembers. The ceremony will take place in the United States Capitol Rotunda and will be the first Gold Medal ceremony this Congress.

Johnson, who has met with several of the Gold Star families, both on the Speaker’s Balcony and at the Republican National Convention (RNC), told the Reporter that “while their post ended that fateful day three years ago, their legacies live on through their families, friends and fellow soldiers.” 

“Congress has a duty to ensure these sacrifices are never forgotten, and it is my distinct honor to announce that Congress will bestow the families of these 13 heroes with the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest award Congress can present to any individual or group,” Johnson said. “This bipartisan, bicameral honor is well deserved, and we thank Congresswoman Lisa McClain and Senator Steve Daines for leading the legislation to make this distinction possible.” 

“Our kids are heroes,” Hoover said. “They created a legacy. And it’s not just our 13, it’s all of 2-1 [2nd Battalion, 1st Marines], it’s all of 1-8 [1st Battalion, 8th Marines], but in a nod to all of the other veterans who have come home, lost limbs, lost a lot of blood, shed tears, gave the ultimate sacrifice, the 2,459 who died there, and for what?”

Alicia and Herman Lopez, the Gold Star parents of Cpl. Hunter Lopez, told the Reporter that their son, who was a “history buff,” would be “beyond honored” to receive the award. Lopez “admired many prior military recipients from George Washington, the Navajo Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen and the Doolittle Raiders,” they told the Reporter. “He would be as proud and smiling to be In the company of recipients whom he enjoyed the talents of such as Walt Disney, Bob Hope, and Frank Sinatra.” Their son, along with the 12 others ”kept the promise made to bring our citizens and allies home. They stood post, looked the unknown in the eye and made America proud of their service, they will forever live as heroes in US history.”

The ceremony will be the first time since August 2021 that the families will convene. The last time was at Dover Air Force Base, where Biden infamously stared at his watch repeatedly during the dignified transfers of the servicemembers. 

“It’ll be something to be back in the company of all 13 families,” Hoover said. “At Dover, we were all like zombies walking around. We didn’t know each other, it was a difficult time because two days after our notification letter that our kids were killed, we’re still reeling from all of that. It’ll be good to reconnect with the 13 families.” 

Hours after next month’s ceremony, President Donald Trump and Harris will debate for the first time. Hoover hopes that Harris is asked “how can she sit and look at herself in the mirror, knowing what happened, and still be able to lead? If she was the last person in the room, what was her thinking behind it?”