Former Marine Sergeant Aaron Fleming is on one more mission to get Afghani interpreter Sami Kazikhani and his family a special visa to get them into the United States.
After both Fleming and Kazikhani fought the Taliban in Afghanistan, and after Fleming went back to the United States, Kazikhani stayed in Kabul. The Taliban learned that Kazikhani had helped the Marines and put a price on his head. Kazikhani, his wife, and their 10-month-old daughter escaped to Turkey but could not stay and continued on to Greece. During their dangerous trek previously documented by the Washington Free Beacon, the family got swept up in the rush of refugees coming in from Syria.
The Kazikhani family had little food and slept on train tracks but finally made it to Germany. Now, Fleming is working on getting the family a special visa to come to come to the U.S.
"He served the United States and the U.S. Marine Corps just as much as any other Marine has," Fleming said.
Fleming said he developed a bond with Kazikhani, similar to a brotherhood. Now with fellow Marines, Fleming is raising money to help pay the expenses to bring Kazikhani to the U.S. and to bring the Flemings home.
"Starting off in my house with my family is the absolute way to ensure his safety," Fleming said.
If Germany sends Kazikhani back to Afghanistan, he will be killed by the Taliban. After the NBC Nightly News broadcast Thursday evening, the GiveForward page to bring Kasikhani to the US raised $17,720 of its $25,000 goal.
"He will need money in Germany for lodging and meals, and his visa paperwork will run about $1,100. That’s assuming we don’t need an attorney," Fleming said.
The money is being used to help clothe and feed Kazikhani and his family, who have gone days without food during their stays in refugee camps. It will also be needed to cover the expensive and lengthy application process that former interpreters and their families must undergo.