In 2001 a Henrietta native chose to enlist in the Marine Corps following the 9/11 attacks.
His first deployment was to Afghanistan in 2003 as an infantryman.
He then deployed again and said he came face to face with enemies at the border of Pakistan.
His best memory is from 2004 when he helped the people in Afghanistan vote during free elections.
He feels mixed emotions twenty years after the war began now that the United States has pulled its troops out.
He stated that a lot of good was done and now it’s all quickly deteriorating.
He also says veterans are struggling now after being deployed there, wondering if it was worth it.
He encourages veterans who fought in the war to unplug from it and to not watch the media covering it right now.
He also worries that another 9/11 attack can happen, stating that to believe the Taliban could ever be a legitimate government is absolutely naïve.
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