Rancho Cucamonga honors Marine who ‘made a difference’ before his death in Kabul attack

It was a solemn, tearful evening Thursday arsenic friends, household members and the assemblage gathered successful Rancho Cucamonga to grant 20-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, 1 of 13 U.S. work members killed successful the Aug. 26 onslaught astatine a Kabul, Afghanistan airport.

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

Merola, who was raised successful Rancho Cucamonga, was 1 of 3 Marines from the Inland Empire who died successful the bombing. The different 2 were Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, of Norco, and Indio nonmigratory Cpl. Hunter Lopez, the lad of Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Alicia Lopez and Capt. Herman Lopez.

Speaking to those gathered Thursday, Merola’s mother, Cheryl Rex, shared done tears that 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.”

Rex spoke soon aft the memorial vigil began astatine Central Park’s Freedom Courtyard. The gathering was co-hosted by the metropolis of Rancho Cucamonga and Los Osos High School, wherever Merola graduated successful 2019.

“We person a enslaved that ne'er goes away,” Rex said of her subject household and the Marines. “I cognize Dylan would accidental that helium is ever with us. Dylan touched the lives of truthful galore people, doing precisely what I cognize (he) wanted to do: marque a quality successful this world.”

Previously, Rex has said that her lad had been stationed successful Kabul for little than 2 weeks. He was readying to spell to assemblage and survey engineering.

Shortly earlier the vigil, arsenic the prima set, mourners gathered astir a array hosted by the Boy Scouts Troop 66 to constitute cards, sharing stories and memories of Merola.

Connor Labajo, a Los Osos High choir member, opened the vigil successful beforehand of a tearful assemblage singing “Amazing Grace” and “You Raise Me Up.” Students besides honored Merola during the school’s archetypal Grizzlies shot crippled of the season.

Randy Shorts, a teacher astatine Los Osos, shared with mourners memories of 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. “As I look astatine the thousands who person near Afghanistan, and arsenic I look astir present tonight, I deliberation Dylan made a difference.”

Grizzly Nation has mislaid 1 of its finest. Please articulation america arsenic we grant arsenic we grant Lance Corporal Dylan Merola, September 2, astatine 7 PM. pic.twitter.com/WIbIndnwV3

— Principal Cypher (@LOHS_Grizzlies) September 1, 2021

Dakota Mancuso shared his pridefulness successful his champion friend.

“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,” Mancuso said. “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.”

The ceremonial drew astir 500 radical — galore who knew Merola but others who were determination to grant a antheral they’d ne'er met.

Dennis Larkin from Fontana called the onslaught successful Kabul “a nationalist tragedy.” He said helium joined the vigil to “show enactment to the men and women successful arms, those who risked their lives for us; to amusement that we emotion and attraction for them.”

Elected officials from crossed the portion attended the service, including Rancho Cucamonga Mayor L. Dennis Michael and Mayor Pro Tem Lynne B. Kennedy, Rep. Pete Aguilar, Assemblyman James Ramos and San Bernardino County Supervisor Janice Rutherford.

Pomona City Councilman Robert Torres brought his son, Julien, 6, to the vigil “to amusement him wherefore it’s important to grant these (service members) and the commitments they made to this country. It’s a bittersweet but arrogant moment, to spot the assemblage travel together. We anticipation Julien volition beryllium arsenic brave arsenic Dylan was.”

Rancho Cucamonga volition grant Merola astatine a aboriginal City Council gathering with an Armed Forces banner display, embellished with a golden star. Michael told the assemblage Thursday the golden prima “reminds america of our indebtedness to those who take to enactment ourselves connected the line.”

The names of the 13 fallen work members were work by Rancho occurrence Chaplain Pastor Mike Eddy, followed by a bell-ringing tribute and a infinitesimal of silence.

Family members, veterans and friends are gathered astatine Central Park successful Rancho Cucamonga for a vigil honoring Lance Cpl. #DylanMerola, 1 of 13 U.S. servicemen killed successful #Kabul past month. The vigil is hosted by @CityofRC and Los Osos High School. @ivdailybulletin @pressenterprise pic.twitter.com/k5ST8yn1ZR

— Allyson Escobar (@heyallysonrae) September 3, 2021

Other community vigils and tributes for the fallen Marines are planned successful the coming days.

• Wives of members of Camp Pendleton’s 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, volition big a candlelight vigil this week astatine Del Mar Beach.

• The metropolis of Norco volition clasp a remembrance ceremonial successful grant of Nikoui opening astatine 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, astatine the George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center, 3737 Crestview Drive, Norco.

• A memorial march is acceptable for 3:45 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5, successful San Clemente to enactment Camp Pendleton Marines. The march volition determination from El Camino Real down Avenida Del Mar to Park Semper Fi adjacent the Pier Bowl. Names of the fallen volition beryllium read.

• A classic car and motortruck cruise is planned for 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5, astatine TGI Fridays, 2795 Cabot Drive successful Corona. The 28-mile people done Corona, Riverside and Norco was organized by Performance Online, and participants are encouraged to show U.S. flags. Donations to enactment the household of Nikoui volition beryllium collected astatine the event.