MONROE, Mich. — Lining the halls of the Monroe VFW Post are plaques, pictures and flags honoring the veterans who've served this country that give off a mixture of pride and sadness.
VFW Commander Al Bond said those emotions can be overshadowed by sheer disappointment when everything is turned upside down.
The situation in Afghanistan, Bond noted, felt like history repeating itself.
“This happened in Vietnam, Fall of Saigon. Ill-preparedness. I don't know whose fault," Bond said. "But it's sad to see this again, after 20 years of prepping a country to maintain themselves."
While Bond did not serve in Afghanistan during his eight years in the Air Force, three of his tours were overseas. His younger brother did serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq and received a Purple Heart for his service. The current climate does hit even closer to home.
But Bond added that whether his brothers and sisters in arms served in Afghanistan or not, situations like the one in Afghanistan can affect any veteran because they all understand what goes into deployment.
"[America] spent over a trillion dollars. We've trained over 300,000 of their troops, maintained their air force, maintained their equipment, so they could carry on and defend themselves," Bond said. "The president of their country just left their country. So, it's insulting to people who have served."
The scenes of roads barricaded off, jam-packed with vehicles going nowhere and airports overrun with hundreds of people have been distressing, to say the least, Bond feels. Yet, the important takeaway for civilians, Bond noted, is to not lose focus of the humans at the source of this story.
Due to the overrun modes of transportation, hundreds of military and civilians are stranded in Afghanistan. He asked everyone to thank the veterans they know because anyone could have been in that situation.
"My prayers and thoughts are for the civilians, military, that they get to come home."
Unfortunately, he's not holding out hope that they'll be able to. This situation in Afghanistan could be triggering for some with PTSD. Therefore, some of the best things you can do are to share thanks or just being there to listen to a veteran if they need to talk.
If you or a veteran you know is in search of help, click here for information and resources from the Toledo branch of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.