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.

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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

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