This archive report was first published on 7 January 2020.
On January 2, a devastating attack by al-Shabaab militiamen in Lamu, Kenya, claimed the life of US soldier Mitch Mayfield, leaving behind a trail of grief and shock.
Among those mourning his loss is Bajah Crane, a military officer and Mitch's lover, who took to social media to express her heartbreak.
According to Bajah, she had opposed Mitch's deployment to Kenya due to constant terror threats and insecurity in the Horn of Africa region.
Published on January 7, 2020, Bajah shared a poignant message, saying, "I just wish I could talk to you one last time! I can’t take this. There’s no way you left. This breaks my heart so bad Mayfield!! It broke me knowing you were leaving me for nine months and it hurt even worse knowing you really left this world. Mitch come back to me."
As reported, the US government confirmed losing one service member and two Department of Defence contractors during the dawn raid at its naval base at the Manda Bay Airfield.
Mitch Mayfield, a 23-year-old soldier, had joined the Army Fort Rucker in 2018.
