Lamu attack: Last words that U.S. soldier told his mother

The U.S. soldier who was killed in the Lamu attack has been identified as 23-year-old Henry “Mitch” Mayfield Jr.

According to the Army Times newspaper, he and two DoD contractors were killed during the attack on Manda Bay Airfield.

He had enlisted in the army two years ago and was deployed to Kenya to the dismay of his mother Carmoneta.

“I last spoke with him New Year’s Day via FaceTime. We discussed him not having to go to Somalia and he told me everything was good and safe at his base. He told me everything would be okay. Those were his last words to me,” she told NBC 5’s Regina Waldroup.

The family was informed of his death on Sunday evening.

Mitch had joined the army straight from university and had been part of the Operation Octave Shield team whose mission was to focus on militant groups in Somalia.

They were to provide expeditionary air traffic control and airfield management, the Army Times newspaper reports.

Meanwhile, a woman identified as B’Ajah MiOchea Crane expressed her sorrow on learning of the demise of Mitch who she says was her best friend.

“Why did God take you away from me? I never wanted you to deploy…I can’t believe you’re gone….this hurts so bad….It broke me knowing you were leaving me for 9 months and it hurt even worse knowing you really left this world. Come back to me,” her message reads on Facebook.