Dear American Legion Family,
A recent article in the Navy Times just confirms my belief in The American Legion’s strong advocacy for evacuating interpreters who assisted the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Sam Al Helli, an Iraqi native who served as an interpreter in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve during a ceremony in Tampa, Fla., on July 16.
As a result of his service assisting U.S. soldiers and Marines, his family received a note that they needed to leave Iraq within 24 hours or face beheading. Fortunately, they were able to safely make it to the United States.
Retired Maj. Scott Huesing recalled Al Helli fighting alongside U.S. Marines five times a day, adding, “There’s nothing more emblematic of the American story than Sam.”
Bill Oxford
