After the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, those who served in the 20-year war are approaching their first Veterans Day since it ended with mixed emotions.
Veterans who spoke with the Washington Examiner described a sense of pride from their service, though they also let out frustration with the way the war ended and the consequences for those who remain in Afghanistan.
Retired Lt. Col. Scott Mann, a veteran who served for more than two decades, spoke about the importance of “storytelling” in how veterans can explain their service to those who haven’t served and may not understand the invisible wounds soldiers have been left with.
Mann, who spent more than 15 years in the Green Berets, wrote and performed the play Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret, and “the whole idea is to help Americans understand the cost of modern war,” Mann told the Washington Examiner.
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“This Veterans Day, more than [any] I can ever remember in history, in my history, is so important because I feel like we are right on the cusp of a collective moral injury … an injury on the soul,” he said. “And we really need to come together as a nation and remind our veterans that we still love them and that they still matter deeply in these divided times.”
Mann repeatedly referenced the “moral injury,” the kind that that “damages our soul,” and he said he thinks that’s what many veterans experienced in Afghanistan.
Mann is also a senior adviser on Task Force Pineapple, a group of veterans that have leveraged their connections in Afghanistan to help those who were left behind when the United States withdrew at the end of August.
Veterans felt a duty to help those left behind, and it left them “extremely triggered and traumatized by what’s happened,” according to Mann, who also pointed out that many of the people who are working to get them out have taken it on as a second job.
Republican Reps. Mark Green and Michael Waltz, both of whom also served in Afghanistan, shared similar sentiments in conversations with the Washington Examiner. They also took shots at the Biden administration, whom they accuse of not having veterans’ backs.
Waltz said he’s met with veteran constituents in his home state of Florida that “transcended political parties” who are “apoplectic with the president.” He blamed the situation on “a massive disconnect” between the two sides.
The Tennessee lawmaker, who received the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with valor, among others, said he wasn’t thinking about the “disgraceful and shameful” withdrawal and is instead focusing on telling veterans’ stories about “their sacrifice, courage, and strength.”
Green also rebuked “leftist politicians” whom he said show a “disdain” for veterans, and he said the best way to change that is “to educate our children about what it means to sacrifice.”
Retired Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry, a Medal of Honor recipient, offered a different take on the day to honor those who have served.
“It’s the one day when our nation can be proud of our men and women and teach younger kids about sacrifice, duty and honor and respect and everything that goes into being a service member,” he said. “And it’s an opportunity for our veterans to inspire others. And so I encourage all of our veterans to get out there on Veterans Day and be a part of something in your community and do something positive so that we can keep that image in our public’s eye, so they don’t forget.”
Retired Navy SEAL and former astronaut Chris Cassidy has a unique experience this Veterans Day, given it’s his first one since leaving the armed forces. He’s now the CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, a museum that is not yet open in Arlington, Texas.
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“Like all the other veterans, I’m proud of my service, I’m proud to have worn the uniform,” he said, comparing his previous feelings to when “you’re playing a sports game, like during the game, you’re actively engaged,” and it isn’t “until after the game where you can reflect, nit, and think about what each step of the way meant.”
To date, more than 3,500 service members have been given the Medal of Honor, while 66 of them are still alive.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, all of whom are honorable directors for the museum, released a public service announcement about what it will represent ahead of Veterans Day, amid a media campaign to highlight the importance of the museum.
