Help Jack Begin Life in America
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Jack is the pseudonym for one of the bravest Afghan interpreters I have ever met. This GoFundMe is to help him and his wife pay for costs associated with moving to the United States as a refugee from Taliban death squads.
In May of 2011 my squad was walking down a step embankment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when an IED blew up at the front of the patrol. With three Marines wounded and helicopters unable to medevac our litter-born casualty, we carried him over eight hundred meters to a nearby bazaar, where trucks were waiting.
During that time the Afghan interpreter attached to us, who was known by the pseudonym "Jack," never cowered or ran away. He grabbed bloodied flak jackets, radios and weapons for the Marines who were wounded or too busy carrying casualties. He was right by my side the entire time, and for the rest of the seven-month deployment he continued to accompany our squad on two patrols a day in the scorching Garmsir heat.
After nearly a half-decade of service to the United States Government, Jack was finally granted a Special Immigrant Visa to come to the United States this December. This was no easy task; he languished in bureacracy for nearly three years, despite letters of recommendation from myself and another member of the squad. It got to the point where I wrote Senators and Congressmen with no response. It wasn't until I published an article in Foreign Policy that we received a break from a very helpful State Department Foreign Service Officer who was able to push Jack's case through.
Now, Jack is on his way to the United States. He will fly in early March. He will land in Nashville, specifically, where he and his wife will meet another Afghan interpreter and begin their lives.
Jack spent years in hiding. He will need money for clothing, internet access, food, rent, transportation and all of the other expenses that come with living in the United States. His wife will need to learn English.
I am asking that you donate whatever you can to this GoFundMe to give directly to Jack for whatever expenses he deems fit. After working with him and staying in contact with him for years I know he wouldn't want me to do this for him because of how proud he is. But he's going to need the money far more than most of us will need the twenty or thirty dollars.
I appreciate you taking the time to read through this. If you worked with Jack, you know his character. If you know me personally, you know I don't ask anyone for money, ever. If you can donate, it will make an enormous difference in the life of someone who has sacrificed more for the United States than the vast majority of its citizens ever will.
Thank you.
Aaron Ferencik
In May of 2011 my squad was walking down a step embankment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, when an IED blew up at the front of the patrol. With three Marines wounded and helicopters unable to medevac our litter-born casualty, we carried him over eight hundred meters to a nearby bazaar, where trucks were waiting.
During that time the Afghan interpreter attached to us, who was known by the pseudonym "Jack," never cowered or ran away. He grabbed bloodied flak jackets, radios and weapons for the Marines who were wounded or too busy carrying casualties. He was right by my side the entire time, and for the rest of the seven-month deployment he continued to accompany our squad on two patrols a day in the scorching Garmsir heat.
After nearly a half-decade of service to the United States Government, Jack was finally granted a Special Immigrant Visa to come to the United States this December. This was no easy task; he languished in bureacracy for nearly three years, despite letters of recommendation from myself and another member of the squad. It got to the point where I wrote Senators and Congressmen with no response. It wasn't until I published an article in Foreign Policy that we received a break from a very helpful State Department Foreign Service Officer who was able to push Jack's case through.
Now, Jack is on his way to the United States. He will fly in early March. He will land in Nashville, specifically, where he and his wife will meet another Afghan interpreter and begin their lives.
Jack spent years in hiding. He will need money for clothing, internet access, food, rent, transportation and all of the other expenses that come with living in the United States. His wife will need to learn English.
I am asking that you donate whatever you can to this GoFundMe to give directly to Jack for whatever expenses he deems fit. After working with him and staying in contact with him for years I know he wouldn't want me to do this for him because of how proud he is. But he's going to need the money far more than most of us will need the twenty or thirty dollars.
I appreciate you taking the time to read through this. If you worked with Jack, you know his character. If you know me personally, you know I don't ask anyone for money, ever. If you can donate, it will make an enormous difference in the life of someone who has sacrificed more for the United States than the vast majority of its citizens ever will.
Thank you.
Aaron Ferencik
Organizer and beneficiary
Aaron Kirk
Organizer
Berlin, MD
Qahaar Farzan
Beneficiary
