Lest we forget our Afghanistan heroes: The human stories of troops whose lives were blown apart fighting ‘losing war’ against terror

Afghan refugees were making their way to Europe as UK and US troops were making their way back to Kabul to rescue thousands.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has promised women’s rights, media freedom, and amnesty for government officials after capturing the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the armed group’s spokesman, said on Tuesday that the rights of women will be ‘protected’ within the framework of Islam.

Very few I’m sure are holding their breath over a ‘pledge’ from people who were instrumental in destabilised the Western World. And their own too.

So, the big question everybody is asking is, was it worth the 20 years we spent there fighting an enemy almost as elusive as the Vietnamese were back in the heady days of hippy peace and stoned love.

Surely, the withdrawal can only be seen as another weakness for world powers, the potential opening of doors to a new horror of terrorism, or as a damaging PR exercise for Stumbling Bumbling Joe Biden or as what so many are describing as more buffoonery from Britain’s baffling Boris.

But more than anything, is it not a major slap in the battle-worn face of our troops who were sent to Afghanistan over the past two decades and had their lives devastated?

Some years ago, through a British army major with a heart, I met many of these devastated squaddies at a ‘secret’ safe-haven in the European mountains.

Our Society is republishing some of the stories over the next week to show the truth of what it was like to actually be doing the bidding of politicians across the world who used them as ‘pawns in the game of terrorism’ that murders and maims the innocent.

This is Peter’s story … we have changed his name, location and regiment to protect him and his family.

This is a real-life story: A crippled friendly-fire hero has told how the army agreed to save his career by sending him to the mountains of Central Europe to be treated by the ancient art of cryogenics.

Four minutes of controlled icy death which some believe helps to repair limbs and organs rendered useless by bombs in Afghanistan.

Squaddie Peter suffered disastrous back injuries when a quad bike rolled on him as he battled to save his mates after Americans bombed them by accident in Kajaki, Afghanistan.

Peter was, at the time, 20 years.

He said: “We’d engaged with the Taliban in a mountain pass when a 500lb-er went off right in our faces. We realised it was friendly fire, an American bomb had dropped short.”

Three of his friends in his regiment died in the incident.

Peter, who lived in Essex, said: “I’ve spent a year in rehab and things have just been getting worse, I couldn’t go on parade or do any work. My career’s been on ice for a year.

“The writing was on the wall for me. Then out of the blue the MoD offered me this holiday . I was amazed.”

He and his girlfriend were flown for free to the spa where the cryochamber, a method of freezing the body to 160 degrees used by leading sports people, is based.

Peter said: “I can’t believe it. I used the cryochamber every day I was there and I felt a difference immediately. Before, I could hardly walk but now I can stand straight and I’m back to normal.”

But he was one of the lucky ones … 457 British personnel died after Nato forces entered the Afghanistan in 2001.

Lorraine McClure’s son Aaron was killed in Helmand Province alongside Robert Foster and John Thrumble while serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment in 2007.

A US F15 plane bombed them instead of a Taliban position.

After the recent events in Afghanistan, Ms McClure told the BBC: “At this moment in time, I really do feel his death was for nothing.

“It took me a lot of years to accept that his death wasn’t in vain, but today I don’t feel that at all. I feel he should be here, as well as many others, because the country is the same as it was before.”

More stories of our Afghan heroes to follow.

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