I am not just an American or a veteran; I am also a student of history. I’ve learned that for a better future, we must not just study history but learn from it. In my lifetime, my country has consistently failed to do so.
I remember reading about the Fall of Saigon, seeing pictures of desperate people left behind with broken promises as North Vietnamese forces advanced. We were only able to evacuate between 5,000 and 5,500 frightened allies.
In 2007, I feared the wars in the Middle East would end the same way. When a U.S. military drawdown in Iraq happened in 2010, I felt relieved. My hope was short-lived. Four years later, ISIS launched a major offensive, and we again failed our allies. We turned to our Kurdish partners, a key ally against ISIS, but then withdrew from Syria in 2019, leaving them vulnerable and betrayed.
I had hoped Afghanistan would be different. Donald Trump set the stage for the chaotic withdrawal by releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners and reducing our troop presence. Once again, people who were promised refuge for their support were left behind.
Denying these Afghan allies a seat at our table is a disgrace and an insult to the 2,461 American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice and to every service member who survived because of our partners.
The U.S. has consistently failed our allies — from the Vietnamese to the Kurds to the Afghans. It’s time to change that. Please call your representatives at 1-202-224-3121 and urge them to support the Enduring Welcome Act.
Editor’s note: This writer is using a pen name. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@inusua.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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