A Veteran and a Gold Star father on our Afghan allies

As we continue to mark this year's Veterans day, we look back on America's longest war: the war in Afghanistan, and our painful, difficult exit from the country this summer.

Back in August, when the horrific scenes of the U.S. withdrawal from the Kabul airport hit our TV screens, it also hit hard for veterans here.

Including folks like John Velis, a state senator who served in Afghanistan in the summer of 2018. Or folks like Steve Xiarhos, a state representative and a Gold Star Father. His oldest son, Nicholas, died on July 23, 2009 on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He was 21.

Velis and Xiarhos spoke with Radio Boston's Jamie Bologna back in August, as the war came to a close, and the Taliban returned to power.