The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain man assists in Kabul
Father asks for prayer for safe return of U.S. Marine son to home, wife, family
The U.S. military formally withdrew the remainder of its armed forces Aug. 30, which included a Lorain soldier, ending 20 years of military operations in the central Asian country that culminated in the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban.
Retired Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper A.J. Torres, in a poignant post Aug. 26 to Facebook, asked for the safe return of his 20-year-old son Omar Torres, a U.S. Marine, who is following in the family tradition of serving his country.
The younger Torres was one of the 6,000 soldiers deployed to secure Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport following the fall of the western backed government of Ashraf Ghani.
“Just asking for prayers for a safe return to my son Omar Torres,” said A.J. Torres, who works part time as a Sheffield Lake police officer, in his post. “He is currently helping with evacuations efforts in Afghanistan.
“May the Lord help to keep him safe and bring him back to his family and loved ones.”
The younger Torres was one of the 6,000 soldiers deployed to secure Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport ... .
“It was just overwhelming to see what a man he had grown into in a year and a half, and then next thing you know, he’s in Afghanistan fighting for our country and helping the people from Afghanistan. It’s just heartwarming.”
— A.J. Torres, Lorain
“We are so proud of you. Love you bro and God bless you always,” A.J. Torres wrote.
The post attracted immediate attention garnering more than 300 comments and close to 100 shares to date with the community showing their support.
Torres said he received a frantic phone call from his son’s wife that morning explaining that he had been sent from his unit in North Carolina on a ship to Kabul to protect the airport.
After receiving word about the bombing that killed 13 U.S. military personnel, including 22-yearold Naval medic Max Sloviak of Berlin Heights, the family was on edge, he said.
“The whole family, you’re waiting for that phone call,” the elder Torres said. “My heart goes out to those people and the ones that didn’t make it, especially the one that we have in Berlin Heights.
“Our prayers go out to them, but we were all worried, and that’s when I sent out the message.”
The response from the community was heartwarming, A.J. Torres said, adding his family spent their entire lives engaged in community service in Lorain where Omar Torres is involved in his parish at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Operation Open Heart. The younger Torres also joined his father on mission trips in El Salvador.
Upon learning he likes to watch the religious services online, a message from Sacred Heart’s congregation and priest was sent to Omar Torres adding to the love and support for him, the elder Torres said.
Safely in Kuwait now, it’s unclear when Omar Torres will return home to the International City.
But when he does, A.J. Torres said he’s looking forward to taking his son to see his beloved Cincinnati Bengals with the community ready to welcome him home.
Omar Torres followed his father and a brother in joining the U.S. Marine Corps.
A.J. Torres said in the past 18 months, he has seen his son grow from a boy into a man with a wife and child and a home of his own.
He said he saw parallels in his own experience.
“It was just overwhelming to see what a man he had grown into in a year and a half, and then next thing you know, he’s in Afghanistan fighting for our country and helping the people from Afghanistan,” the elder Torres said. “It’s just heartwarming.”
The city of Lorain is represented by so many young people who are serving abroad, he said, who are continuing their service upon their return in the community.
“I’m just so proud of them, you know,” A.J. Torres said. “I just can’t wait until he gets home.
“My heart goes out to the other 13 that weren’t able to make it home, but they are in our prayers and our thoughts and, and we support any of our young men and women that are serving right now, and all over the country, representing the city of Lorain.”