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Afghan who served alongside Mid-Michigan soldier builds new life in America

Kevin Lavery/WKAR

Last Friday, we brought you the story of William Milzarski, a retired Army officer who was awarded the Purple Heart. He was wounded in 2011 while serving as a platoon leader in Afghanistan. While he was there, Milzarski befriended two Afghan men who worked alongside him as interpreters. Milzarski is now helping those men become American citizens.Current State’s Kevin Lavery reports that the men arrived here through the federal Special Immigration Visa program. We hear his story but not his name, because the tragic reality is that doing so could expose his family back home to retribution by the Taliban.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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