Intel

Widow of Marine Killed at Abbey Gate Bombing Gives Birth to Daughter

September 15, 2021Matt White
Levi Rylee Rose McCollum. Photo from Jiennah Crayton’s Facebook.

Levi Rylee Rose McCollum. Photo from Jiennah Crayton’s Facebook.

Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, was one of the last Americans to die in the war in Afghanistan. He died at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26 in the last engagement of US troops in Afghanistan.


McCollum’s widow, Jiennah Crayton, gave birth to their daughter Monday, Sept. 13, in a world where that war is over.


Levi Rylee Rose McCollum
Levi Rylee Rose McCollum, born Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, rests in the arms of her mother, Jiennah Crayton. Her father, Rylee McCollum, was a Marine killed Aug. 26, 2021, in Kabaul, Afghanistan. Photo from Jiennah Crayton’s Facebook.

The baby, named Levi Rylee Rose McCollum, weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces Monday at Camp Pendleton, according to social media announcements made by McCollum’s family and friends.


Both Crayton and friends released a slew of pictures of the newborn baby Tuesday on social media.


A GoFundMe for the baby and McCollum’s family has raised nearly $680,000 as of Wednesday afteroon.




Rylee McCollum’s father, Jim McCollum, wrote a poem for the girl, which Crayton posted on her Facebook page.


Levi Rylee Rose

I love you little girl

You blessed us all with light and love

When you came into the world

Hold on to your mama

She’s needing you right now

You’re precious

You are beautiful

You brought the world together somehow

Your daddy

He’s watching over you

He loves you both so much

You’ll feel him with you always

A random feather

A subtle touch

I can’t wait to hold you

I’m excited to watch you grow

I love you little Levi Rylee Rose

I wanted you to know


Me

Grandpa

Wykid


McCollum’s body arrived Friday in his hometown of Jackson, Wyoming.


Update, 5:43 p.m., Sept. 15: This story has been updated with a link to the family’s GoFundMe page.


Read Next: DISPATCH: With an Arsenal of US-Made Weapons, the Taliban Storm Through Panjshir




Editor’s note: The headline of this article was changed after publication to correctly reflect Jiennah Crayton’s marital status.



Matt White
Matt White

Matt White is a former senior editor for Coffee or Die Magazine. He was a pararescueman in the Air Force and the Alaska Air National Guard for eight years and has more than a decade of experience in daily and magazine journalism.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Intel
US: War Crimes on All Sides in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

March 20, 2023Associated Press
military pilots cancer rates
Military
Higher Cancer Rates Found in Military Pilots, Ground Crews

In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft b...

March 20, 2023Associated Press
whiskey pour
Military
Veterans Lead the Way Among America’s Growing Craft Distilleries

American veterans are taking the lessons they learned in the military and changing the craft distilling industry.

March 20, 2023Mac Caltrider
military suicide veteran suicide
Military
Military Moves To Cut Suicides, But Defers Action on Guns

In a memo released Thursday, Austin called for the establishment of a suicide prevention working gro...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
us military drills japan-south korea
Intel
US, Partners Stage Military Drills Amid Japan-South Korea Talks

The Sea Dragon 23 exercises that started on Wednesday will culminate in more than 270 hours of in-fl...

March 17, 2023Associated Press
leo jenkins a word like god
Entertainment
‘A Word Like God’: New Book From Army Ranger Leo Jenkins

In his latest poetry collection, Ranger-turned-writer Leo Jenkins turns away from war to explore cosmic themes of faith, fatherhood, and art.

March 16, 2023Mac Caltrider
us drone
Intel
Pentagon Video Shows Russian Jet Dumping Fuel on US Drone

The Pentagon on Thursday released video of what it said was a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a ...

March 16, 2023Associated Press
10th Mountain Division
History
‘Climb to Glory’ — A History of the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division

From the mountains of Italy to the mountains of Afghanistan, the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division built its legendary reputation by fighting in some of the most inhospitable places in the world.

March 16, 2023Matt Fratus
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved