LANSING, Mich — The bell echoed inside Frances Park Pavilion in Lansing Friday afternoon as community members gathered to remember fallen heroes.
- The Lansing Veterans Council held their second annual memorial ceremony for the 13 U.S. service members killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing.
- Afghan community members joined veterans to honor both military and civilian casualties from the attack.
- The memorial serves as a reminder to never forget those who lost their lives while helping others.
WATCH: LANSING COMMUNITY UNITES TO HONOR SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
For the second year, the Lansing Veterans Council honored 13 U.S. service members killed in a 2021 bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
As each name was read, a bell rang in remembrance.
Abdul Sakhra attended the ceremony with personal connections to the tragedy. Sakhra was in Kabul during the 2021 bombing.
"One of my friends was visiting me. He also died in that explosion," Sakhra said. "This is a small thing we can do. Just pray for them and remember them.
His friend was among 170 civilians who lost their lives in the attack.
"Right now I'm really happy that we participated in this [ceremony]," Sakhra said.
The memorial's objective is to ensure these sacrifices are never forgotten.
Vietnam veteran Gene Nethaway served as master of ceremonies. He believes the memorial is not just a marker but a reminder to do good.
"We lost military and they were trying to help the world," Nethaway said. "Anytime we can do stuff to bring peace and things better for our country and across the world, this is how we should be seen."
American and Afghan flags stood together during the ceremony, with neighbors from two nations gathered under one roof.
"Let's try to make things so that we can be the country that helps the whole world," Nethaway said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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