[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 31, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E937-E938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   LETTER FROM VETERANS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ONGOING EVACUATION 
                         EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JASON CROW

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 31, 2021

  Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, as a combat veteran who served three tours 
of duty, both in Afghanistan and Iraq, I understand the danger and 
lasting implications of war. We mourn for the U.S. servicemembers 
killed in the August 26 attack in Kabul. These service members were 
engaged in a mission to save the lives of others, and we should never 
forget their service and sacrifice.
  As we grieve with the rest of America, we must commit to evacuating 
U.S. citizens and our Afghan partners, regardless of the August 31st 
deadline. I recognize this operation is not without risk, but I believe 
it is both a moral and national security imperative to see this 
evacuation to completion.
  Therefore, I include in the Record the following letter signed by 600 
veterans on the importance of continued evacuation efforts. I look 
forward to our continued work to bring our brave service members, U.S. 
citizens, and Afghan partners to safety.

           Veterans' Letter to President Biden on Afghanistan

                                                  August 25, 2021.
     President Joe Biden,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: As veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, 
     we are writing to express our strong and unwavering support 
     for the ongoing evacuation efforts for U.S. citizens and our 
     Afghan allies being led by the United States at the Hamid 
     Karzai International Airport.
       Throughout our military service, we have seen firsthand the 
     importance of not just the interpreters who worked alongside 
     our troops on the battlefield, but also the thousands of 
     Afghans who directly supported our American mission through 
     U.S.-funded NGOs, contractors, and other implementers.
       These civilian operations--led by the Afghans working on 
     U.S. funded projects--have been vital for U.S. national 
     security and for empowering millions of women and girls. The 
     grave danger now faced by these Afghan allies and their 
     families cannot be overstated.
       We are also deeply worried that this group of Afghans--
     individuals who qualify for Priority 2 refugee status--could 
     be largely left behind by the current U.S. military 
     evacuation efforts. We fear that the U.S. will fail in its 
     moral duty to protect these individuals who stood directly 
     with America.
       Therefore, we write with three specific and urgent requests 
     for your Administration:
       1. Prioritize U.S.-led evacuations for potential and 
     qualifying Priority 2 applicants and their families for 
     evacuation efforts alongside potential Special Immigrant Visa 
     (SIV) applicants and U.S. citizens.
       2. Extend the evacuation mission past August 31, 2021--not 
     just for U.S. citizens--but for all our Afghan allies that 
     worked alongside us in the military and U.S. civilian 
     missions, assuming everyone cannot be evacuated by the 
     deadline.
       3. Ensure safe corridors for evacuees to access the Kabul 
     airport.
       Thank you for your attention and leadership to help get all 
     our Afghan allies to safety. As we all know, time is of the 
     essence.
           Very respectfully,
       Russell McLachlan, Joseph Snowden, Anne Hobbs, Birmingham, 
     Neil Rafferty, Dena Contri Cook, Chris Perry, Paulette 
     Risher, John Hamilton, Mike Ball, William Turkoski, Al Wood, 
     Stephen Charles, Danielle Bennett, Tim Smithpeters, Donald 
     Becka, Betty Carlene Gilio, Wade Rutt, Luis Cardenas Camacho.
       Edward Logan, Henry Wade, Sean Till, Bruce Pagel, Terell 
     Welch, Tim Cullison, John Phelps, Sol Jaffe, Brett Hunt, Rick 
     Erickson, Richard Chapman, Kees Rietsema, Jon Miller, Robert 
     Welch, Wanona Fritz, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Flanigan, Jeff 
     Tennen, Jason Tomlinson, Robert Hayward, John Steele.
       Bob Rieman, Elton Johnson, Joanne Johnson, Thor Gjerdrum, 
     James Boarman, Tommaso DeAngelis, Tony Priestley, Diana N 
     Richard Rabe, Bianca Garilli, Penny Doswell, Lupita Palacios, 
     Cheryl Shipman, Leon Persaud, Cindy MacDonald, Presley Guio, 
     David Taliaferro, Edward Post, Bill Holen, Jim Glenn, Donna 
     Abenroth, John Brackney, Bear McConnell, Joseph Reagan, Peter 
     Mueller, Corey Tucker, Randy Garcia.
       Joanna McConnell, Jeffrey Samet, David French, Donald 
     VanGilder, Michael Crader, Joe Rice, David Skaggs, Otis 
     McGregor, Brittany Bartges, Ron Struthers, Sally Ireland, 
     Christopher Rivers, Jeremy Rodrigues, George Mitchell, 
     William Card, Robert Rains, Jeff Steele, Nick Riffel, Sean 
     Sorbie, Scott Cooper, David Anderson, Larry Reed, Ronald 
     Blanck, Dawan Collick, Rick White, Klint Krieger, Anthony 
     Hardie, Mike Bontell, Bruce Jones, Andrew Learned, 
     Christopher Charo, Diane Maye Zorri, Stphen Leisenring, 
     William Oshell, Laura Waters, John Miller, Ron Fithen Sr., 
     Wayne Hoyt, Kirby Wedekind.
       Bobby Drummond, Michael Raynor, Gregory Martin, Scott 
     Wuesthoff, Barbara Cooper, Paul Chevalier, Emilio Gonzalez, 
     Andres Soberon, Lynare Robbins, Mark Kerr, Michael Bryan, 
     Connie Crawford, Blake Locklar, Martha Marden, Dick 
     Batchelor, William Toti, Ross Clemons, Walter Bondarchuk, 
     Christopher Baker, Willie Berges, Jerry Rogers, Jeff 
     Ponkratz, Houston Tucker, Dennis Stoneking, Elizabeth 
     Masters.
       Alfredo Anthony, Kevin Connelly, James Welch, Rosa Sanders, 
     Daniel Hubbard, Bob Burleson, David Brady, Christopher Cano, 
     Andrew Wilson, Bill Aquino, Houston Mc Gowan, John Ionoff, 
     Jay Hood, Mark Campbell, Mike Brassaw, Steve Rutherford, Jeff 
     Cathey, Mark Fetterman, Anthony Pawlisz, Thomas Trifiletti, 
     John Mulholland, Chris Purdy, Frederick Lutz, WD Williams, 
     Kevin Murray, Michael Karabasz.
       Michelle Cain, William Howerton, Kevin Wince, Roger 
     Harrison, David Snow, William Leverett, Angela Vinson, Robert 
     Anderson, Christopher Drumhiller, Don Albertson, Peter Welch, 
     Keith Luchtel, Robert Felderman, Steve Dodson, Ron Dardis, 
     William Holderman, Richard Ritter, Chris Clark, Laura Hubka.
       Steve Warnstadt, Miyoko Hikiji, Bernie Stone, Jim Durand, 
     Jeff Dow, John MacDonald, Ken Holliday, Reo Felts, Everett 
     Wohlers, Rudy Soto, Susan Megy, Brent Webb, Charles Tucker, 
     Michael Hubbard.
       Megan Everett, Theresa Eckard, Jennifer Mcintosh, Anil 
     D'Souza, Kirk Samson, Sharon DeVary, Beverly Thompson, 
     Matthew Brodycz, Chris Young, Lindsey Figgins, Andrew 
     Gothreau, Gregory Runyon, Joseph Ellis, Gary Dillman, Brian 
     Copes, Angela DeMaree, Matthew Piety, Charles Williams, 
     Tabitha Bartley.
       David Zipoff, Paul McKinney, Charles Winkle, James Wieser, 
     Dr. Richard Marcantonio, Daniel Bradley, Otis Kerr, Doug 
     Martin, Erika Steuterman, Jamie Richards, Rick Burns, Mike 
     Denning, Doug Tystad, Aaron Estabrook, Barth Crouch, Gary 
     Morsch, Jim Gartner, Seth Merrell, Jeff Mahan, Tim Hudgins.
       Danny Davis, Lewis Walter, Robert Gadd, Joseph Tharp, 
     Robert Durham, Doug Tirey, Vernon Black, Marty Smith, Sonny 
     Greeson, James Santos, John Rice, Evette Mittin, Richard 
     DeNoyer, Peter Prieto, Martha Barbone, Ken Murphy, John 
     Caldwell, David Tohn, Stuart Dye, Kathryn Beasley, Lawrence 
     Brill.
       Andrew Fallon, Edward Slaughter, Christopher Ackerman, 
     Ethan Dietrich, Joe Plenzler, Gregory Grunwald, Lyn McCall, 
     Nicholas Albicocco, David Paschane, Arielle Berghammer-
     Ziegler, Charles Ray.
       Richard Kessler, Stephanie Grant, Sharon Nelson, James 
     Settele, Peter Kuniholm, Christian Trocchi, Alicia Barnes, 
     Joe Schwarz, John Schwarz, Richard Van Buskirk, Travis Ernst, 
     Joshua Lunger, PJ Mulford, Tom Niemela, Dennis Kooren, Jan 
     Bakalyar, Kristy Janigo, Sheila Jessen, George Waldow, Matt 
     Gill, Walter Kocemba, Shelia Jessen, John Baker, Thomas 
     Cocchiarella, Rage Ali, Mathew Meyer, Mary Hafner.
       Ronald Schwartau, Pat Finley, David Currey, Steven Clark, 
     Robert Bennett, Pat Castillo, Jim Gwinner, Robert Speir, 
     Michael Guiles, Bruce McDonald, Lee Mitchell, Sammy Martin, 
     Missionary Cecil Fayard, Michael Philley, Moe Davis, Nick 
     Justice, Richard Vosteen, Francis Proctor, Dennis Harris, 
     Gene Stewart.
       Michael Kingsley, Paul Dillon, Peter Aubrey, Kathy Greggs, 
     Stacy Mathews, James Keith Grindle, Linda Barto, John 
     Wilkinson, Craig Horn, Richard Cantwell, Dana Tucker, 
     Kathleen Volandt, Frank Segal, Tomas Franklin Castillo, 
     Stefanie Maloney, Aurelia Fedenisn, Larry Skogen, Murray 
     Sagsveen, David Sprynczynatyk, Drew Combs, Frank Jessup, 
     Kathy Lahners Rall, Thomas Janssen, Fred Tisdale.
       John E. Nelson, Jesse Edwards, Chuck Nettleship, Paul 
     Lloyd, Dave Porterfield, Carol Bartlett, Peter Burdett, Otto 
     A. Busher III, Kenneth Clark, Al Baldasaro, Mark Aquino, 
     Karen Merrill, William Yamaji, Corey Houghtaling, Bryan Dunn, 
     Steven Hashem, Rhonda Spinelli, Jannell MacAulay, Peter 
     Robinson, Robert Goff, Beverly Cover, Quentin Collins, 
     Timothy Harrod, John Williams, Brian Maccormack-Burt.
       Kathy Scariot, Sue Balderrama, Linnes Chester, Ross Bryant, 
     Chaz Wellington, Joseph Godwin, Christopher Milan, Matt 
     Carrescia, Emilia Montenegro-Stroud, Edward Vento, Steven 
     Schwarzer, Mike Bolley, Ralf Schloss, William Andrews, Jerry

[[Page E938]]

     Terhaar, Leslie Green, Eric Gardiner, Gerard Grant, Henry 
     Grossman.
       John Flynn, Mike Parks, John McCance, Richard Lauf, Gregory 
     Johnson, Frank Titus, Frank LaRose, Jason Rafeld, Terry 
     Lawson, Matt Eichmann, Gretchen Klingler, Al Burzynski, 
     Robert Viney, George Hoffman, John Shaw, Robert Lees, Carl 
     Miller, Bill Tate, Linda Davis, Patrick Williams, Brian 
     Kennedy, David Butler, Howard Mckinnis, Seth Mccool, Timothy 
     Lind, Will Meyer, Donald Dean, Rob Luster.
       Jack McCutchen, Joseph Bautista, Charles Allen, Stephen 
     McNamara, Thomas Rodriguez, Bob Sutton, John Strong, Bruce 
     Bingaman, Jesse Hamilton, Bob McMahon, Richard Bugbee, Carl 
     Witte, Joe Gullo, Glenn Geissinger, Irv Halter, Mark 
     Liberman, Joe Witte, Michael Noonan, Robert Hoe, Bill 
     Mccartan, Gary Freyberger, Todd Werley, Bradley Kenny, Joseph 
     Albert, David Eisele, James W. Houck.
       Dr. Karin Warner, Thomas Richards III, Joe Kirlin, Warren 
     Gunderman, Matthew Peoria, Osvaldo Sanchez, Jose Cabrera, 
     Tracey Rivkin, Ron Green, Samuel Hines, Bud Ferillo, Jeff 
     Jacobs, Mike Dhunjishah, George Goldsmith, Steven Diaz, 
     Allison Love, James Polasky, Samuel Boone, Harry Dean Cook, 
     Jason Kramer.
       George I. Boniface, Bob Cristian, Robert Brennan, Steve 
     Stark, Robyn Grable, Melissa Watson, John Krenson, Richard 
     LaMonica, Danny Hatcher, Wayne Culbreth, Robert Coughlin, 
     Glasgow Rex, Charles Bowers, Robert Peal, Patrick Ryan, David 
     Lambert, Joe M. Caraveo, Johnny Dickey, Michael Carroll.
       Mike Valadez, John Gerlaugh, Michael LeCompte, Heather 
     Herrera, Joe Cerami, J. Wayne Trimmer, Howard Schauer, Rene 
     Chapa, Evelyn Quattrone, Alan Manley, David Sanders, Martin 
     White, Jo Kat, David Lewis, Jeff Haynes, Sharon A Bataille, 
     Jeremy Jordan, Tommy Gonzalez, Martin Martinez, Omar 
     Williams, Juan Pablo Gmz, John Roe, Rafael Rodriguez, Shirby 
     Ford, Jeffrey Kendall, Sam Tijerina.
       Walter Ulrich, Charles Starnes, Jose Garduno, Boyd 
     Neathery, Rosalie Burleson, Robert Hastings, Constance de 
     Chevalier, Brett Farley, Ronald Olness, Tim Farrell, John 
     Casey, John Duggan, Todd Speer.
       Mark Alvarez, Richard Delgado Jr., Richard Delgado, Merlin 
     Bjerke, David McArthur, Jeff Snell, Brittany Lambert, William 
     Cosgrove, David Pyne, Alex Dubovik, Josh Burgess, Daniel 
     Gade, Terron Sims II, Isaac Eagan, Robert Gard, Michael 
     Luttrell, Clay Monroe, Edwin Vincent, Will Woldenberg, Jon 
     Stull, Jeanie Graves, Ralph Hastings, Terry Orndorff, Alec 
     Williamson, Eliot Evans, Hal Donahue, Ron Suzuki.
       William Parrish, Rudy Wadle, John Peterson, Mckinley Price, 
     Leandrew Reese, Robert Bracknell, Cherylynn Sagester, Charles 
     Tyler, Terry Phillips, Christopher Campbell, William Leighty, 
     Eric Postow, Jason Roberge, Royes Gernandt, David Hamon, 
     Isabel Hodge, Mark Kustra, Dave Belote, Jeri Prophet.
       Gerard Mauer Jr., Chris Phillips, Peter Smith, Heather 
     Veenker, Matthew Hepner, John Petersen, Steven Brown, Dave 
     Baine, John Kilpatrick, Peter Wilson, Jim Perkins, Echo 
     Penley, Diana Smith, Mike Moore, Brian Newberry, Steven Bell, 
     Margaret Cope, Andrew Anderson, Michael Trudeau, James 
     Strong.
       Toni Horak, John Katzka, Christopher Goebel, William Davis, 
     Hector Sepulveda, Mark Freitag, Walter Hladko, .Jason Johns, 
     Thomas Plantenberg, John Becker, Darrel Feucht, David Hollis, 
     Rob Palmer, Darla LeClair, Herb Davis, Michael Martin, 
     Davidjames Lynch, Patrick M. Kitkowski Sr.

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