LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tributes honoring the 13 U.S. service members in Afghanistan are pouring in not only across the nation, but here in Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

  • A Louisville restaurant manager among many to pay a tribute to the fallen 13

  • The service manager poured a round of beers for the soldiers

  • The 13 service members were killed during last week's attack at Kabul's airport 

  • DOD released the names of the victims

It’s a movement growing on social media to remember the fallen 13 soldiers.

"It’s very heartbreaking," said Tyler Parker, a service manager at the Texas Roadhouse in Louisville.

He said seeing the pictures coming in from the attack in Kabul last week depicts reality.

"It’s very sad. It’s a very horrible tragic (situation) that I just feel for the families that are going through it. The moms and dads that have (to) bury their children. I couldn't even imagine," Parker said.

As the news poured in, Parker felt compelled to offer a tribute in addition to lowering the U.S. flag at half staff.

"I shared a post on my Facebook the other day of a mom kneeling down next to the casket as they were unloading it from the van and it was just like, man, it was gut-wrenching and it was so real," Parker said. 

The service manager has veterans in his family.

"Both of my grandfathers served in the Korean War and my stepfather actually served in the Desert Storm," Parker said.

The attacks in Kabul hit home for Parker so he posted a picture with the caption: "For the 13 fallen."

"I wanted people to get the picture and feel how real it was. And that everybody around the world, we're here with them. We're here with the families and we're just sending our prayers through them," Parker said.

Tyler Parker is the service manager at the Texas Roadhouse in Louisville. He felt compelled to create a memorial for the fallen soldiers in addition to lowering the U.S. flag at half staff. (Spectrum News 1/Khyati Patel)

The tribute is a last round of beers at one of his tables inside.

"Some of them weren't even able to drink, so me being able to pour them a beer as their first and maybe there are a lot of obviously, their last, but you know, it was one way of just saying, 'Hey, this one's on us,'" Parker said.

The Department of Defense released details of the 13 fallen soldiers killed in the attack at Kabul's airport last Thursday. Their ages ranged from 20 to 31 years old.

It's a small gesture leaving a widespread impact.

"It's very heartbreaking, whether it be beers, whether it be, you know, food for them. Whatever the case may be, you know, we are here as a company showing our support to the family members and letting them know that we're here for them and we're sending them our prayers," Parker said.

More than 170 Afghans were also killed in the horrific suicide bombing.

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