On this Memorial Day, we honor the memory of the people who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation.
I wanted to tell a story about a group of warriors that is often forgotten, many who gave their lives for the American cause in Vietnam.
When we talk about the Vietnam War, about the soldiers who fought and died on our side fighting, arm in arm with the Special Forces against the Viet Cong, there were the Montagnard, the native indigenous people of the Central Highlands. Thousands were trained by Special Forces and fought in strike forces with them, saving countless American lives. To the Special Forces, they were their brothers and they found them the most loyal and indefatigable fighters.
— Dr. Nickarama (@nickaramaOG) May 31, 2021
But when the Americans pulled out of Vietnam, many of the Montagnards were left high and dry. While some were able to get out and settle here, many were left to be hunted down and killed by the Communists for the crime of fighting with the Americans. Their villages were largely wiped out.
The remaining Montagnards in the country have faced oppression in recent years by the Communist government for their Christianity.
I wanted to remember them today, to honor their service, to let folks know who weren’t aware of their actions.
But I also wanted to mention it because we may be about to make a similar mistake, leaving those who fought arm and arm with us to be slaughtered again.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned of the danger this past week to over 18,000 interpreters, and others who risked their lives in Afghanistan to work with the American government, who are about to be killed by the Taliban when we pull out.
Milley said he has plans being developed to rapidly pull them out. “We have a moral commitment to those that helped us,” he declared. But he said the decision to evacuate them wasn’t up to him.
Meanwhile, the Biden White House seems prepared to let the slaughter happen.
“I can tell you we have no plans for evacuations at this time,” said a National Security Council spokesman. “The State Department is processing [special immigrant visa] applications in Kabul. They are focused on ensuring that the system functions quickly and consistent with U.S. security and other application requirements.”
Milley’s spokesperson then clarified that an evacuation was not imminent.
Americans are expected to pull out by early July. Visas take forever to process. We have about that long to save these people and maybe not even that much time because as we pull out we’re rapidly removing folks who could help with an evacuation.
As Fox notes, No One Left Behind, an organization formed to help, is pleading with the government to do something to save them. James Miervaldis an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and the head of the organization said, “The [Department of Defense] has maybe two weeks before they don’t just don’t have the manpower and equipment to do this,” Miervaldis added. “The Taliban’s going to attack the prisons, free all of their prisoners and then wreak havoc. You don’t even need a crystal ball.” At least 300 have been killed by the Taliban since 2014.
“They’re being hunted down right now as we speak. They are reaching out to me, these interpreters, in a panic,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) said. Waltz was a Green Beret who served in Afghanistan.
“The United States has a moral obligation and a national security interest in fulfilling its promises to those who have risked their lives to support our mission,” said Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks.
“We recognize that a very important task is to ensure that we remain faithful to them, and that we do what’s necessary to ensure their protection, and if necessary, get them out of the country,” Gen. Milley said.
Biden seems willing to wait out the clock. But these folks who put their lives on the line for us don’t have that kind of time.
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