HEROES OF KABUL: Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover handed out ammo to his men despite facing mortal injuries
Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover was one of the 13 Americans killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan
By Megan Myers Fox News
Published September 1, 2022 2:00am EDT | Updated August 27, 2023 8:02am EDT
This article is part of a Fox News Digital series examining the consequences of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. It has been updated with new quotes and information as Taylor Hoover's loved ones remember the Marine two years after he was killed while assisting with the evacuation.WASHINGTON, D.C. — Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover was dying from his injuries. He still managed to reach in his vest and hand out ammo to his fellow Marines.
The staff sergeant, who went by his middle name, was determined for them to stay in the fight. The act exemplified who Taylor was, both as a person and as a Marine, his parents said.
"He cared about his men more than he did himself," Taylor's father, Darin Hoover, told Fox News. "If that isn’t the definition of a true warrior, I don’t know what is."
"Everything was about his men," Darin said.
Taylor, 31, ultimately succumbed to his injuries. He was the oldest of the 13 U.S. service members killed by a suicide bomber at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The blast also killed at least 170 Afghan civilians and injured more than 150 others.
Taylor, who served for 11 years, would have made the same sacrifice again if it meant saving his men, Darin told Fox News.
"He’s got the heart of a lion, and he really is fiercely protective," Darin said.
Two years later, Taylor's parents have continued to pay tribute to him by pushing for more information about their only son's death. They're demanding accountability from the Biden administration, arguing that government officials' decisions led to the 13 U.S. service members' deaths.
"Our family will never stop fighting for justice and the truth for Taylor and the other 12," Barnett told Fox News.
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