Lee and Romney honor a Utah Marine killed in terror attack
Sep 14, 2021, 5:33 PM
Sen. Mike Lee (left), and Sen. Mitt Romney (right) both honored Utah Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover on the floor of the US Senate on Tuesday. Photo credits: Twitter sceengrab, Canyons School District
(right)
WASHINGTON D.C. — Utah’s US senators, Sen. Mitt Romney and Sen. Mike Lee, took time on Tuesday to honor a Utah Marine who was killed along with 12 other service members and 160 Afghans when a suicide bomber attacked the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a US evacuation was taking place.
Sen. Mitt Romney tied the death of Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover to the 20 anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
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“We’ve asked our service members to do so very much to keep us safe, and they’ve responded with uncommon courage,” Romney said. “Last month, 13 of our nation’s finest upheld their sacred oath at the cost to their lives.”
Hoover was 11 years old when the US was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. He was killed while on his third deployment to Afghanistan.
Utah’s Taylor Hoover was just 11 years old on 9/11. Nine years later, he was a Staff Sergeant in the @USMC.
On August 26, he was among the 13 U.S. service members who upheld their sacred oath at the cost of their own lives. We will never forget his bravery and heroism that day. pic.twitter.com/el0XbOl5Vw
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) September 14, 2021
“The heroic service and ultimate sacrifice of these men and women will never be forgotten,” said Sen. Mike Lee as he began his recognition of Hoover. After he named all of the 13 service members who died in the suicide attack on Aug. 26, he spoke specifically of Hoover.
“Staff Sgt. Hoover and his fellow Marines were on the front lines of the operation, securing an entrance to the Hamid Karzai International Airport and screening vulnerable Afghans on their escape to safety as the extremist Taliban took hold of their country,” Lee said.
“Staff Sgt. Hoover did, always, what he said he would do. He was honest, respectful, caring and compassionate … dedicated his life to the service of others, in and out of uniform.
“He wanted to be the best, and to provide the very best for others. And he was always willing to work hard to make that happen.”
“On heaven’s scenes, you will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines.”
SSGT Taylor Hoover 1990 – 2021 pic.twitter.com/KNh0cUBXN5
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) September 14, 2021
Hoover will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
