Massachusetts Marine Killed In Kabul Airport Attack Remembered

LAWRENCE, MA — Massachusetts is mourning the loss of one of its own. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence died Thursday when a suicide bomber attacked the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

"Sgt. Johanny Rosario of Lawrence is a true Massachusetts hero gone too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends," Gov. Charlie Baker said shortly after he learned of her passing.

Rosario was one of 13 service members — 11 Marines, a Navy sailor and one Army soldier —who died while supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Kabul. Eighteen other U.S. service members were wounded in Thursday's bombing, which was blamed on Afghanistan’s offshoot of the Islamic State group, ISIS-K. The U.S. said it was the most lethal day for American forces in Afghanistan since 2011.

This was Rosario's second deployment to Afghanistan. She first deployed to the country at just 18 years old, according to family. She served with the Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which praised her work as supply chief this spring.

During a news conference over the weekend, Lawrence Mayor Kendrys Vasquez said he ordered all flags on most city properties to half-staff.

"We are heartbroken by the death of the service men and women due to the bombing in Kabul. I, and the City of Lawrence, are particularly saddened that one of those brave souls was a daughter of our city," Vasquez said.

According to the mayor, Rosario was a 2014 graduate of Lawrence High School. She had also been a member of her school's Junior ROTC program. Born in the Dominican Republic, the brave Marine was proud to call Lawrence home and honored to serve her country.

Sonia Guzmán, the Dominican Republic’s ambassador to the United States, tweeted that the Caribbean nation was saddened to learn of Rosario's death.

“Peace to your soul!” she tweeted in Spanish.

According to the mayor, he vows to keep Rosario's memory and service to her country alive for years to come. He said the city plans to place an additional flag at the Campagnone Common in honor of Johanny and all fallen heroes.

"Johanny Rosario was a special being in our community, full of light, and armed with valor and bravery," Vasquez said. "I will ensure that the City of Lawrence never forgets her name, and that we will always remember her as the hero that she is. In the coming days and weeks, at the speed at which the family feels comfortable, the City of Lawrence will be observing Johanny’s passing and celebrating her life."

Vasquez said he has been in touch with Rosario's mother and has offered to assist Rosario's family in any way possible. During a recent conversation, she described her daughter to the mayor as strong, dedicated and someone who wanted to help others in need.

"She spoke of her daughter as a vibrant, young person who wanted to give back to the community, and as a result of that it is her mother’s desire that Johanny will be brought back to the city of Lawrence as the hero she is," the mayor said.

Following high school, Rosario attended Bridgewater State University for one semester in the fall of 2014 before she decided to join the Marines at 18 years old.

"We’re heartbroken to learn that Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario, a former BSU student, was killed in Kabul while aiding evacuation efforts. Committed to country and always ready to serve — that was Johanny Rosario," the university tweeted.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin watched as a Marine Corps carry team moved a transfer case containing the remains of Rosario Pichardo at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Rosario is survived by her mother and sister. A GoFundMe account was recently launched to help support her surviving family. As of Monday, the account has raised more than $40,000.

"Besides being a selfless Marine helping desperate people fleeing away from a life under Taliban, Sgt. Johanny held the torch for her family in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She was the steady force that the family looked up to for strength and moral support," a portion of the GoFundMe account reads. "With the fall of this monumental source of support and security to the family, while Sgt. Johanny gave her all fighting for this great country, her family is left shattered and lost."

To donate to Rosario's family, click here.

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