“I don’t think I can return to the United States without losing my mind,” Jay said.
Jie is talking about his terrible experience of escaping from Afghanistan to the Bay Area. We agreed to protect his identity because he was worried about the safety of his family and the Taliban’s retaliation.
He is a former US military interpreter who went to Kabul a few weeks ago to help his family but was trapped.
“This is a total disaster,” he said.
Kabul is a chaotic city. Jay said that he had tried to get to the airport many times, but the threat of the Taliban made him almost impossible.
“People are stepped on, children are stepped on, women are stepped on, women fainted, I will never forget it in my life,” he added.
related: During the Afghan evacuation, at least 7 people were killed in a panic at Kabul Airport
When he finally arrived at the airport, armed security guards greeted him.
“I was shot at my face four times, four times. I had to sit down and I held up my visa, green card and passport and said hey, don’t shoot, don’t shoot.”
“I usually call him my brother,” said retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Mike Hudson.
Hudson from Concord is a close friend of Jay, who helped local governments and trained militias in Afghanistan. This effort is now disintegrated.
related: In his speech on Sunday, Biden said that 11,000 people took off from Kabul on the weekend
“People are desperate, a sea of chaos, just the fear and helplessness of seeing those who want something better,” Hudson added.
Hudson has been working hard to help Jie and other friends leave the country. Jay became famous overnight and arrived safely in Washington, DC. He wants his mother and other relatives to leave the country as soon as possible. He hopes to return to the Bay Area next week.
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