September 1, 2025
Marine Survives Suicide Bomber That Killed 13 at Abbey Gate
Urban Valor: the podcastAbout this episode
On August 26, 2021, during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan, Marine veteran Christian Sanchez stood at Abbey Gate when a suicide bomber detonated his device—killing 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of Afghan civilians. Thrown to the ground, barely conscious, Christian opened his eyes to pure chaos. Then came the gunfire—a Taliban fighter firing from a rooftop. Despite being injured, Christian engaged in the firefight, neutralized the shooter, and was later shot himself. In this Urban Valor interview, Christian details the blast, the adrenaline-fueled battle, and the scars that never fade. You’ll hear the raw details: catching babies thrown over barbed wire, standing face-to-face with Taliban fighters, and the agonizing aftermath that changed his life forever. This is one of the most gripping episodes of Urban Valor has ever aired. 📌 If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: ☎️ Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 ☎️ Military OneSource: 1-800-342-9647 👍 Like this video to support and show appreciation. 🗣️ Comment your support or ask any questions. Sometimes, our interviewees respond, and we at Urban Valor will do our best to respond as well! ✅ SUBSCRIBE to support Urban Valor and the courageous Veterans who tell their stories AND so you NEVER miss a weekly episode of our veteran stories. New stories every Sunday! Your engagement greatly supports our mission to share authentic and impactful veteran stories. Video chapters: 00:00 Bomb detonates at Abbey Gate 02:14 Meet Marine Christian Sanchez 08:40 Riot control with zero training 10:25 Catching babies thrown over barbed wire 16:20 Standoff with Taliban fighters 20:40 Executions outside the barrier 32:30 Intel warns of a suicide bomber 40:12 The explosion hits 45:00 Gunfire erupts—Taliban on the rooftop 50:20 Dragging wounded Marines under fire 57:50 CCP chaos & triage 1:08:20 Hospital scene & triple ketamine trip 1:13:50 Calling families & aftermath #military #warstories #urbanvalor #marines #warstories