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Purple Heart Marine Veteran Reacts To Deadly Afghanistan Attack

A victim receives medical assistance in a hospital after he was wounded in the deadly attacks outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi/AP)
A victim receives medical assistance in a hospital after he was wounded in the deadly attacks outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi/AP)

The attacks that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians in Kabul marked a sad day in history, especially for those who have served in the armed forces.

Sebastian Gallegos is a veteran who joined the Marines in 2007. During his second deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, he lost his arm in an explosion on the frontlines. He was 21 years old. Gallegos was sent home with a purple heart but says members of his unit have remained in the country.

He speaks with Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee from San Antonio, Texas.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.