Rev. Franklin Graham, having heard first-hand from the injured veterans and their wives, highlighted how these folks question whether the victims, death of their comrades and the scars remaining in their body were worth their sacrifices.
Graham wrote in his most recent Facebook post that these were the sentiments he heard from participants at the Samaritan's Purse Operation Heal Our Patriots event, which they held in Alaska.
He explained that the bungled pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban's quick ascent to power, evoked strong emotions among many members of the U.S. military community, including grief, resentment, and indignation.
In response, Graham reminded them that the U.S. had given Afghans "a taste of freedom" they never experienced 20 years before. Women and girls had the right to attend school and study. Women were permitted to work. Islamic Mullahs were no longer seen as a threat. Afghan children have been born and reared with a sense of hope for the future of their country and their people.
"I want every active duty soldier and veteran who served there to remember-your service was not in vain. It made a difference in their lives," Graham said.
"But that's not all. For 20 years, your service helped protect the United States of America from attacks by radical Islamic terrorists that would have risen up and reached out from Afghanistan to our shores," he continued.
"Your service kept terrorism around the world in check," he said. "Every American thanks you-and I would bet that if they had a vote, millions of Afghans would thank you as well. We are proud of you and thank God for you-and we pray that God will bless you and your family for the sacrifices you made for all of us."
Back in Afghanistan, reports claim that Biden's administration is obstructing privately chartered aircraft carrying Americans and refugees out of the country.
According to Fox News, three private rescue organizations, including Rick Clay's PlanB, have revealed that the U.S. State Department is barring their aircrafts' safe passage from Afghanistan.
In an interview with the outlet, one of the rescue team members said that "if one life is lost as a result of this, the blood is on the White House's hands. The blood is on their hands. It is not the Taliban that is holding this up--as much as it sickens me to say that--it is the United States government."
This was confirmed by conservative pundit and Mercury Radio Arts CEO Glenn Beck, who claimed on a Tuesday podcast that Biden's government prevented rescue aircraft from fleeing Afghanistan by turning over the manifesto to the Taliban. He said that the State Department, not the Taliban, that denied permission.
Beck then chastised the U.S. State Department for making rash decisions to ground planes by refusing to grant landing clearance and then turning them over to the Taliban. He also reported that the State Department urged adjacent country governments to cease accepting refugees from Afghanistan.
"If our govt won't save these people, WE WILL. But the State Dept. must stop standing in the way," Beck said.
