As chaos erupts across the country, several local area veterans spoke to the Era to reflect on their thoughts about what is going on in Afghanistan today, and their own experiences being veterans of war.
Port Allegany native Cory Angell discussed how his time serving in Afghanistan has affected his life and touched the lives of others.
Angell first landed in Afghanistan in late 2002, served in Iraq in between, and then returned to Afghanistan in 2016. He explained that the Afghanistan he saw when he returned in 2016 was a stark contrast from the Afghanistan he originally saw back in 2002.
“When I got there in 2002, the way news got to Kandahar, Afghanistan, was that it was printed on paper in Kabul and placed in the trunk of someone’s car who drove it to Kandahar — and that’s how Kandahar got the news of Afghanistan,” said Angell. “Now they have a couple of websites. We helped build infrastructure for the internet and cellphones.”
Angell discussed the importance of looking back on all the positives that U.S. troops brought to the people of Afghanistan, as well as emphasized the fact that the current tragedies do not negate the progress they made.
“I think it’s important now that we get that message to our veterans that served over there and sacrificed so much,” he said. “We have a veteran suicide problem because of the stress and the strain and deterioration of relationships at home that happen when you’re away. Watching this stuff can only make that worse. I truly believe that we left good behind and that this was not an all-for-nothing deal. It wasn’t in vain. We did good and I am certain that our legacy will endure.”
Angell added that the troops helped build roads and education, helping the Afghan people jump far ahead from where they were 20 years ago.
“I don’t think they want to lose that and I don’t want them to lose it,” he said. “I hope they figure it out and hope they figure out how to govern themselves. We always knew the Taliban were going to be a part of the solution because they are very influential. I think they’ve changed over the years because of our presence as well.”
Angell also talked about how his heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, especially those who lost someone so close to the end of the war.
“Right here at the end, you know, when it’s all supposed to be over … there’s nothing more tragic than taking a loss like that,” he said. “These are wonderful human beings that don’t think of themselves — they think of the mission and their nation and their mission back home and doing the right thing for all of us.”
Immediate Past State Commander for the VFW and Vietnam veteran Ron Peters also expressed empathy for those affected by the war in Afghanistan and believes the leaders in Washington need to change their tune to better meet the needs of veterans and their families.
“Right now, our Afghan veterans are all suffering immensely and we need to have their backs,” he explained. “This [withdrawal from Afghanistan] did not have to happen the way that it happened or is happening. Everyone understands we can’t stay in Afghanistan forever, but on the other hand, we have fought wars around the world and when you leave a country, you leave a force. What people don’t understand there, is we’ve given up security by giving up the airfields. It’s a shame that people can’t have better leadership in Washington than we have now.”
Peters also emphasized the importance of the Veterans Affairs in the treatment of both physical and mental health of veterans and expressed disappointment in their current attempt to do so.
“Most people don’t understand that when you’ve been in combat, that you’ve seen and done things that most civilians haven’t seen or done,” he said. “We have triggers and most certainly, what’s going on over there [Afghanistan] is a trigger. We have to have our people in the VA available to help people go through that. These young people — we’ve asked them to go there time and time again. Let’s get behind them and be there when they need us.”
