Maxton Soviak, who was from Ohio, was identified as one of the 13 U.S. Marines and service members who were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021. He was remembered in a heartfelt tribute from his sister as her “beautiful, intelligent, beat-to-the-sound of his own drum, annoying, charming baby brother” who “was killed yesterday helping to save lives.”
On Instagram, Soviak called himself a “patriot.”
Max Soviak wrote on his Instagram page in June, “It’s kill or be killed, definitely trynna be on the kill side. #imnotsurprisedmotherf***ers #NDA.”
It was his final post.
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Here’s what you need to know:
1. Soviak’s Sister Described Him as ‘Beautiful, Intelligent’
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Soviak’s sister Marilyn described him on Instagram as “…my beautiful, intelligent, beat-to-the-sound of his own drum, annoying, charming baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives. he was a f***ing medic. there to help people. and now he is gone and my family will never be the same….he was just a kid.”
She also shared a video collage in his memory.
Soviak’s sister Marilyn posted on Instagram, that her “baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives.”
She wrote:
I’ve never been one for politics and i’m not going to start now. What I will say is that my beautiful, intelligent, beat-to-the-sound of his own drum, annoying, charming baby brother was killed yesterday helping to save lives. he was a f***ing medic. there to help people. and now he is gone and my family will never be the same. there is a large Maxton sized hole that will never be filled. he was just a kid. we are sending kids over there to die. kids with families that now have holes just like ours. i’m not one for praying but damn could those kids over there use some right now. my heart is in pieces and I don’t think they’ll ever fit back right again.
2. Soviak Was a Native of Berlin Heights, Ohio
Max Soviak was a Navy corpsman. He was a medic in the U.S. Navy, and was a native of Berlin Heights, Ohio, according to Fox 8.
“Max was full of life in everything he did,” Edison Local Schools said in a statement to the television station. He was killed at the airport’s Abbey Gate.
“He was well respected and liked by everyone who knew him,” the district said.
3. Tributes Flowed in for Soviak, With the Attorney General of Ohio Declaring that Soviak Was ‘One of Ours’
U.S. Senator Rob Portman wrote, “Jane and I are heartbroken by the death of Max Soviak, a Navy Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman from Berlin Heights, who lost his life in the service of his country. He was a hero who died serving with his Marine brothers helping to save fellow countrymen and our Afghan allies. We mourn his loss and are praying for his family and friends.”
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost tweeted, “Max Soviak was one of ours, a 2017 graduate of Edison High School. Each one who died had a hometown where they were known—classmates, friends, family. Familiar places they should’ve been able to return to as they grew older sights and sounds and memories. They did not die as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, self-sacrificially serving others in the face of danger. Let us honor them.”
4. Soviak Called Himself a ‘Patriot’ On Instagram
This is how Soviak described himself on Instagran: “Patriot. Grappler. Corpsman.”
A relative wrote under one photo, “You look like the navy suits you. Hope it’s everything you wanted!” He wrote on Facebook that he was living in Guam.
“Wild thing we love you so 💔,” his sister wrote, sharing a photo with Soviak.
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He shared one photo of him jumping off a cliff in Guam last March and wrote, “because also, if the world was coming to an end, I don’t wanna close my eyes without feeling like I lived.”
5. Other Lost Marines & Service Members Hailed From States Ranging From California to Texas
City of Laredo, FBHere are some of the Marines and service members killed in Afghanistan.
Altogether 13 Marines and service members were lost. Heavy has compiled a roundup of tributes, names, and photos as they are released.
You can read that roundup here.
Others who have been identified are Rylee McCollum (Wyoming); David Lee Espinoza (Texas); Jared Schmitz (Missouri); Kareem Nikoui (California); Ryan Knauss (Tennessee); Taylor Hoover (Utah); Daegan Page (Nebraska); Humberto Sanchez (Indiana) and Hunter Lopez (California).
READ NEXT: These Are the 13 Marines & Service Members Who Died in the Afghanistan Attack at Kabul Airport.