America's Betrayal of its Afghan Veterans is Almost Complete
A Coda
A few more thoughts that I left out from my latest at
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On September 11 2001, Al Qaeda, aided by the Taliban and radical segments of Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) killed nearly 3,000 Americans. These terrorists killed Christians, Muslims, Jews, and non-believers.
Nearly 3,000,000 Americans answered their nation’s call. It was the honor of my life to serve alongside America’s treasure: its sons and daughters. I even had the honor of leading men and women in combat operations and in the rear with the gear, conducting intelligence surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions on operations I will never be cleared to discuss. I’ve delivered the devastating news to multiple mothers that they would become something they never wanted: Gold Star mothers. Despite twenty years of mistakes, costly errors, and setbacks, the war was not lost until three years ago. And, thus, I truly believed that my sacrifice—and those of the men and women who stood shoulder by shoulder by me—would ultimately prove a worthy endeavor.
Then on 15 August 2021, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) generation joined their brethren, the Vietnam generation, in watching America turn its back on its mission, without regard for the reverberations. Much like in Vietnam, we blamed the Afghans for being corrupt and for cutting and running at the first sight of danger. In essence, much like we did in Vietnam, we dishonored ourselves and our veterans, and left them to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is still completely ill suited to handle the GWOT generation.
When I’m with Vietnam veterans, I feel at peace. They understand the pain that we went through. They also saw their comrades come home from war and tossed aside. They know how empty the phrase, “Thank You for Your Service,” has become.
“They said the same shit to us,” they often tell me, “But at the end of the day, son, you have to learn to forgive them because they just don’t know any better.”
Fortunately for my Vietnam elders, they never had to endure their government deporting their allies back en masse. For us, the GWOT generation, I fear that our betrayal is not yet complete.
I spent my entire adult life killing on behalf of the American people, both intimately and non-intimately. I’m 100% disabled and survive on my benefits and disability. The war took parts of my sanity, my family and so many of my comrades that I struggle to remember their names. To remember, I have them tattooed on my body and carry their names on my wrist and in my wallet. Those are things I carry.
I don’t ever want to forget them, both Afghan, Iraqi, and American alike.
People call me a hero often. I must admit I hate it immensely. While I did heroic things, do heroes come home to countries that deport their allies? Do heroes come from countries where the government threatens Christians with deportations to a country ruled by a gender apartheid regime that gang rapes women? Do they deport Afghan commandos back to their son’s and daughter’s killers?
Whatever Trump will do it will be an American decision. We, the people, positively chose this man to command America’s sons and daughters. We’ve placed great trust in a president without any military service, nor a firm understanding of honor, duty, and respect. Those concepts are so foreign to President Trump that it would likely take years of intense tutoring for him to comprehend anything that doesn’t involve enriching himself, his allies, and those that can further his economic interests.
But the responsibility will not only fall on Republicans, but also Democrats, too. For they are the party that muted most of its criticism of President Joe Biden and his incompetent decision to follow through with one of the worst deals in American history: the Doha Agreement.
In response, for nearly three and half years, thousands of American combat veterans, and some civilians too, have banded together to try and hold what’s left of our honor. We’ve attempted to bring as many to this shore as possible, in the belief that our country would care for the very men and women that saved our lives repeatedly.
Now, however, that belief in the goodness of the American people might become irrevocably shattered. And the GWOT generation, alongside our brothers, the Vietnam generation, will become another lost generation, tossed aside like others from previous lost wars.
Thank you for your service, indeed.
Great article and reasoned review of the issues. The families of those who served and sacrificed and who must now support those who have spent three years trying to save the very people who helped them on the battlefield feel the weight of these burdens. I am working on what Vietnam veterans gave as advice-- forgive them they don't know any better. It's going to take some time. Don't know if I have that kind of time left. Our veterans are a national treasure...Live life veterans don't let them make you bitter. Grow your own businesses and rise to the top of whatever decision ladders you are climbing. Then do it differently than my generation.
When we helped General Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend by capturing the canoes of the Red Sticks and using them to ferry us across to flank them our reward was the denial of pensions for our service and the trashing of our country as his troops returned home to Tennessee. The Americans have a long history with allies - take heed, it will likely get much worse before it gets any better.