‘A Marine’s Marine’: Family, Friends Remember Hometown Hero Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee

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ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A “Marine’s Marine” and a hometown hero. The beingness of Sgt. Nicole Gee—who was killed portion helping to evacuate thousands successful Afghanistan past month—was celebrated successful a memorial work successful Roseville connected Saturday.

Family and friends spoke retired astir Gee’s beingness and said she died doing what she loved.

Bagpipes blared and a soulful serenade helped grant the beingness of Sgt. Gee.

Hundreds showed up to Bayside Church to perceive astir the pistillate killed on with 12 different work members successful a suicide-bomber onslaught extracurricular Kabul’s airport.

Gee’s older sister shared that it was her past halt connected a humanitarian ngo helping to evacuate 100,000 refugees.

“Her selflessness and willingness to assistance others drove everything she did,” Gee’s sister said.

In this Aug. 20, 2021, representation provided by the U.S. Marine Corps, Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), including Sgt. Nicole Gee calms an babe during an evacuation astatine Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Kabul, Afghanistan. Officials said Aug. 28, that Gee of Sacramento, Calif., was 1 of the Marines killed successful Thursday’s bombing astatine the airport. (Sgt. Isaiah Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps)

Gee whitethorn besides beryllium remembered for that iconic representation of her cradling an babe successful her arms successful the mediate of the chaos astatine the Kabul airport.

On societal media, conscionable days earlier her death, she wrote, “I emotion my job.”

“That is who Nicole was: brave, beardown and compassionate,” her aunt Cheryl Juels said.

Juels says what the photograph didn’t amusement is the chaos that surrounded Gee connected that day—dirty and sleep-deprived, trying to assistance thousands fly portion surrounded by the Taliban.

“She loved she was making a quality and would’ve fixed her beingness for that 1 azygous baby,” Juels said.

In a tribute, her champion person stood beside Gee’s hubby and precocious schoolhouse sweetheart—both chap marines.

“She was brilliant, she was bold and she was brave,” her person said. “She was my person, a Marine’s Marine.”

She said due to the fact that of the enactment Gee did successful her last days, she knows her person died proud.

“Nicole’s relation successful ending a twenty-year warfare volition ne'er beryllium forgotten,” Gee’s person said.

Gee’s begetter lone asked the assemblage for 1 thing: “Never forget.”

It was a solemnisation of a beingness chopped short, who we can’t convey for her sacrifice but volition ne'er beryllium forgotten.

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After the service, Gee’s flag-draped casket was carried extracurricular the religion for afloat subject ceremonial honors. Gee’s household and hubby were presented with a emblem followed by a procession.