Utah mayor killed in Afghanistan urged Americans to vote days before his death

A parting message from the mayor of North Ogden, Utah, has gone viral after the National Guardsman urged Americans to vote just days before he was killed in Afghanistan.

Brent Taylor, who was killed Saturday in what was described as an “insider attack,” posted to Facebook just days earlier to reflect on witnessing Afghan people vote in their own election.

“Many American, NATO allies, and Afghan troops have died to make moments like this possible; for example, my dear friend Lieutenant Kefayatullah who was killed fighting the Taliban the day before voting began,” Taylor wrote on Oct. 28.

{mosads}”As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election (Tuesday), I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote,” Taylor continued. “And that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we all remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than divides us. ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’ God Bless America.”

CNN first reported on Taylor’s message.

He served 12 years in the U.S. Army National Guard, and was elected mayor of North Ogden in 2013, the network reported.

Taylor previously served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He had temporarily stepped down as North Ogden’s mayor during his latest deployment, which began in January of this year.