When the US left Kabul, these Americans tried to help Afghans left behind. It still haunts them
Three years ago, the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan when the last American plane departed Kabul
By REBECCA SANTANA and FARNOUSH AMIRI
Published - Aug 30, 2024, 09:50 AM ET
Last Updated - Aug 30, 2024, 09:50 AM EDT
The United States' longest war is over. But not for everyone.
Outside of San Francisco, surgeon Doug Chin has helped provide medical assistance to people in Afghanistan via video calls. He has helped Afghan families with their day-to-day living expenses. Yet he remains haunted by the people he could not save.
In Long Beach, California, Special Forces veteran Thomas Kasza has put aside medical school to help Afghans who used to search for land mines escape to America. That can mean testifying to Congress, writing newsletters and asking for donations.
In rural Virginia, Army veteran Mariah Smith housed an Afghan family of four that she'd never met who had fled Kabul and needed a place to stay as they navigated their new life in America.
