Fallen Marine Dylan Merola honored with procession through Rancho Cucamonga

When helium was a pupil astatine Los Osos High School, Dylan Merola wore achromatic and reddish during schoolhouse theatre productions.

Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, was killed successful the Kabul airdrome bombing connected Aug. 26, 2021. (Courtesy photo)

On Tuesday evening, Sept. 21, Merola’s casket passed by his Rancho Cucamonga alma mater, draped successful red, achromatic and blue.

A procession honoring Marine Lance Cpl. Merola coiled its mode done the metropolis and past his precocious school, enroute from Ontario International Airport to Forest Lawn cemetery successful Covina.

Merola, 20, was one of the 13 U.S. work members killed successful the attack connected Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Aug. 26. Two different Marines from the Inland Empire, Lance Cpl. Kareem Mae’Lee Grant Nikoui, of Norco, and Cpl. Hunter Lopez, of Indio, were besides killed successful the termination bombing. Eight much Marines, an Army worker and a Navy Corpsman were besides killed successful the attack, on with 169 Afghan civilians. At slightest 150 much radical were injured successful the bombing.

A assemblage of astir 400 gathered extracurricular Los Osos High with American flags, Marine Corps flags and 1 oregon 2 pro-Donald Trump flags. Most were quiescent and superior arsenic they waited for the procession.

It arrived conscionable arsenic the prima set. A subordinate of the Los Osos marching set played taps arsenic the hearse moved by.

Police cars from crossed the portion took portion of the procession and included cruisers from Banning, Beaumont, Colton, Corona, Fontana, Menifee, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, West Covina and others, followed by motorcyclists connected Harleys.

At a Sept. 2 Central Park memorial vigil, Merola’s mother, Cheryl Rex said her lad ever wore subject attire arsenic a child.

“He wanted thing much than to go a Marine,” Rex recalled. “He joined the Marine Corps and proudly served his state to the highest degree.”

Residents hold for a ceremonial procession Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, for Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola successful Rancho Cucamonga. (Photo by Beau Yarbrough, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

According to Rex, Merola had been stationed successful Kabul for little than 2 weeks and was readying to spell to assemblage and survey engineering.

“When helium joined the subject I knew that helium was going away, but I didn’t ideate that helium wasn’t going to travel back,” Dakota Mancuso, who said Morela was his champion friend, said astatine the Sept. 2 vigil. “I cognize you were going retired for a purpose, I could ne'er person imagined what intent recovered you successful Afghanistan. I’m truthful proud, humbled and inspired by you. You saved truthful galore radical and I’m truthful arrogant of you for that.”

Merola, a 2019 postgraduate of Los Osos, worked arsenic a theatre technician astatine the school. At the vigil, Randy Shorts, a teacher astatine Los Osos, described Merola arsenic a “shy, ever smiling” pupil successful his theatre class, ever dressed successful a achromatic garment and reddish necktie portion starring tech for schoolhouse performances.

“Dylan wanted to articulation the Marines due to the fact that helium wanted to larn discipline, and to marque a difference,” Shorts said.

Merola’s ceremonial is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 26, astatine 2:30 p.m. astatine Forest Lawn mausoleum, 21300 Via Verde St., Covina. The ceremonial is unfastened to the public, but Merola volition beryllium buried afterward successful a backstage service.

Merola is the 3rd of the 3 California work members killed successful the Kabul airdrome onslaught to beryllium laid to rest. On Saturday, Sept. 18, Nikou and Lopez were buried successful Riverside, aft funerals and memorial services successful Riverside and Palm Springs, respectively. All 3 Marines volition person posthumous Purple Heart medals, on with 27 different work members killed oregon injured astatine the airport, the Pentagon announced Sept. 14.

Rancho Cucamonga volition grant Merola astatine a aboriginal City Council gathering with an Armed Forces banner display, embellished with a golden star, according to Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael.

Hundreds are lining up for the ceremonial procession for Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola successful Rancho Cucamonga connected Tuesday, September 21, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) pic.twitter.com/xSgN2D9Sba

— TERRY PIERSON (@Fotogodterry) September 22, 2021