Slain Marine who cradled baby at Kabul airport loved her job

“I love you and I’ll talk to you as soon as I get home,” were his final words, Cheryl Merola told KCAL-TV.

Merola, from Rancho Cucamonga, California, had only been in the country less than two weeks when he was killed, family members said.

He planned to study engineering in college after his military service.

Before the football game Friday at his alma mater, Los Osos High School, fans were told the school had received “devastating news" and a moment of silence was observed in his honor.

A GoFundMe account for his funeral had far exceeded its goal of $15,000 by Saturday afternoon.

“Dylan was a beloved son, brother, grandson, great grandson, nephew, a great friend, and a brave soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice at the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the evacuation," the announcement said.

His tearful mother said he was “one of the best kids ever.”

“Kind loving, giving to every single person,” she said. “He would give anything for anybody.”

JARED SCHMITZ, 20

Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz grew up in the St. Louis area and was among a group of Marines sent back to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation efforts, his father, Mark Schmitz, told KMOX Radio.

“This was something he always wanted to do, and I never seen a young man train as hard as he did to be the best soldier he could be,” Mark Schmitz said of his son. “His life meant so much more. I’m so incredibly devastated that I won’t be able to see the man that he was very quickly growing into becoming.”

TAYLOR HOOVER, 31

Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, of Utah, had been in the Marines for 11 years and was remembered as a hero, his father, Darin Hoover, said.

“He gave his life protecting those that can’t protect themselves, doing what he loved serving his country,” said Darin Hoover, who lives in a Salt Lake City suburb.

He said he had heard from Marines who said they were grateful they had his son as their sergeant.

“They look back on him and say that they’ve learned so much from him,” Hoover said. “One heck of a leader.”

Hoover said his son was also a best friend to his two sisters and loved all his extended family. He had a girlfriend in California and was the kind of guy who “lit up a room” when he came in, his father said.

Nate Thompson of Murray, Utah, first met Hoover when they were 10 years old in Little League football. They stayed friends through high school, where Hoover played lineman. He was undersized for the position, but his heart and hard work more than made up for what he lacked in stature, Thompson said. As a friend, he was selfless and kind.

“If we had trouble with grades, trouble with family or trouble on the field, we always called Taylor. He’s always levelheaded, even if he’s struggling himself,” he said.

DEAGAN WILLIAM-TYELER PAGE, 23

Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page served in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment based at Camp Pendleton, California, and planned to go to trade school and possibly become a lineman after his enlistment ended, his family said in a statement.

Page was raised in Red Oak, Iowa, and in the Omaha area and joined the Marines after graduating from Millard South High School. He is mourned by his girlfriend, parents, stepmom and stepdad, four siblings and grandparents, the family statement said.

“Daegan will always be remembered for his tough outer shell and giant heart,” the statement said. ”Our hearts are broken, but we are thankful for the friends and family who are surrounding us during this time."

JOHANNY ROSARIO PICHARDO, 25

Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo was being mourned in the Massachusetts mill town of Lawrence she called home, the state's capital and her birthplace in the Dominican Republic.

“We will not allow her to be forgotten,” said Jaime Melendez, director of veterans services in Lawrence, where Rosario attended high school.