{"id":47971,"date":"2021-10-24T18:22:17","date_gmt":"2021-10-24T18:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/10\/24\/a-wyoming-farewell-for-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-bombing\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:46:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:46:37","slug":"a-wyoming-farewell-for-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-bombing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/2021\/10\/24\/a-wyoming-farewell-for-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-bombing\/","title":{"rendered":"A Wyoming farewell for Marine killed in Afghanistan bombing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dozens of fellow U.S. Marines joined hundreds of Wyoming residents to bid a final farewell at a memorial for Rylee McCollum, one of 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing<\/a> as they guarded a gate at a chaotic Kabul airport during the final U.S. evacuation<\/a> from that country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the Marines were members of the 20-year-old McCollum\u2019s unit serving in Afghanistan when he was killed on Aug. 26. McCollum, a Marine lance corporal, grew up, went to school and enlisted for the Corps in the mountain valley area known as Jackson Hole, home to the town of Jackson. He was honored during Saturday\u2019s Jackson service attended by more than 400 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew his potential,\u201d said Staff Sgt. Luis Diaz, who recruited McCollum into the Corps. \u201cI knew he had the mindset. I knew he had the spirit to accomplish anything he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCollum was a dedicated Marine, enthusiastic and funny, said Cpl. Wyatt Wilson. When something had to be done, Wilson told the Jackson gathering, \u201cI always grabbed Rylee because I knew it would be done right the first time,\u201d the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten other Marines, a U.S. Army soldier and a Navy corpsman also died in the explosion as they guarded a gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Twenty other service members were wounded, and dozens of civilians were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mourners remembered McCollum as a \u201croly-poly\u201d boy who became a dominant high school wrestler, a young man who always told people he wanted to become a U.S. Marine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, who attended with U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, said Americans \u201cshould rejoice that heroes like Rylee are born.\u201d Gordon ordered U.S. flags in the state to be flown at half-staff to honor McCollum, who died in his first deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\t