The Utah mayor who died in Afghanistan had one final wish. He wanted Americans to vote


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People around the country are mourning the loss of the National Guardsman who was terminated when he was killed in a so-called "insider" attack.

But despite the grievance, many are finding hope in the final message.

"As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election (Tuesday), I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote," Taylor wrote in the post. "And that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we're remembering that we've got more people than we divide us. '' United we stand, divided we fall. ' God Bless America. "

Taylor had just witnessed the people of Afghanistan vote in an election marred by violence and threats from the Taliban. He found Afghanistan's election inspiring and a thing of beauty.

"It was beautiful to see over 4 million Afghan men and women brave threats and deadly attacks to vote in Afghanistan's first parliamentary elections in eight years," he wrote. "The strong turnout, despite the attacks and challenges, was a success for the long-suffering people of Afghanistan and for the cause of human freedom."

Taylor went on to say that he was proud of the US and the Afghan soldiers he served with and paid the ultimate price for freedom.

"Many American, NATO allies, and Afghan troops have died," said Lieutenant Kefayatullah, "who was killed fighting the Taliban the day before voting," Taylor wrote.

He had done multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan

Taylor was killed Saturday in Kabul when a member of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces opened fire. The attacker was immediately killed by other Afghan forces, the NATO-led Resolute Support Coalition said.

He was elected to the city council of North Ogden, about 45 miles north of Salt Lake City, in 2009 and became mayor in 2013, according to the city council website. He was able to deploy to Afghanistan with the Utah Army National Guard, according to his North Ogden's website. He served 12 years as an officer in the US Army National Guard, including seven years on active duty. Taylor also served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife Jennie and seven children. Last month on their 15th wedding anniversary, we had a lot of questions about who he said to have been "superwoman through birthing and raising seven children, and through four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan."

A second service member was also injured in the attack and is undergoing medical treatment.

The attack that killed Taylor comes a little more than two weeks after US Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Smiley, who oversees the Afghanistan military advisory mission in southern Afghanistan, was wounded in an insider attack in Kandahar province. The commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, US Army Gen. Scott Miller, was also present but uninjured.

Two Afghan officials, including the southern province's powerful police chief, Gen. Abdul Raziq Achakzai, were killed. The Taliban has been responsible for the attack.

A report released by the US government's own ombudsman of the war reports that the Taliban have strengthened their grip in Afghanistan over the past two years.

CNN's Kevin Bohn, Laura Smith-Spark, Maeve Reston, and Amir Vera contributed to this report.

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