A procession through the Inland Empire was held Friday to honor Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, of Norco, who was among 13 U.S. service members killed when a suicide bomber and gunmen targeted an Afghanistan airport.
The procession was scheduled to begin around 3 p.m. at Ontario International Airport and end at a mortuary in Riverside. Community members were invited to line the route with flags to honor the fallen Marine as he is returned home.
“Our hearts ache today knowing that Kareem is being brought back. We just want to be here to support his family and come together as a community and show our respect and our appreciation for his sacrifice,” said Connie Tiscareno, who came to pay her respects.
Nikoui’s memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Riverside campus, which is located at 6115 Arlington Ave.
Another fallen Marine, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, will also be buried Saturday. Lopez’s funeral will be held at Riverside National Cemetery.
A third California Marine who was killed in Afghanistan, Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, will be buried in Covina on Sept. 26.
