'Their sacrifice was for naught': Army Colonel whose son was killed in Afghanistan slams Biden for abandoning the country as Gold Star mothers share their pain over the decision and ask 'why did we even bother?'

A group of parents - including two Gold Star moms - who lost their sons in Afghanistan have shared their anger and anguish after the Taliban retook the country in the wake of Joe Biden's withdrawal.

Retired Army Colonel Dave Brostrom, who lost his son, Jonathan, in 2008, is blaming President Joe Biden for abandoning Afghanistan and leaving the country in disarray. He said: 'It's a disgrace to this country to depart like this.'

Jill Stephenson, whose only child, Army Ranger Ben Kopp, died in July 2009 while fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan said the the militant group's takeover of Kabul this weekend came as a gut punch. She worries that many Americans will now lose sight of the service of the nearly 2,500 members of the U.S. military killed during the 20-year conflict.

'I hope their sacrifice doesn't get forgotten,' said Stephenson. 'Here we are 20 years later, and so you do question why did we even bother?' 

Another mother, Jean Durgin, echoed Stephenson's claims saying 'people mustn't forget them'. Her son, Russell Durgin, a sniper leader, was killed in 2006 by small arms fire in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley.

Retired Army Colonel Dave Brostrom , who lost his son, Jonathan, at the Battle of Wanat in 2008, has called the withdrawal 'disheartening' and a 'disgrace to this country'

Lt. Jonathan Brostrom was among nine US soldiers killed on July 13, 2008 when more than 200 enemy fighters swarmed a small, remote combat outpost near Wanat

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a two-decade war. The insurgents stormed across the country and capturing all major cities in a matter of days. Now, US defense officials are working to evacuate as many as 40,000 Americans from the country.

Brostrom, who lost Jonathan at the Battle of Wanat in July 2008, told CBS News: 'It's a disgrace to this country to depart like this. This is very disheartening.' 

Brostrom feels as if Jonathan's death was for nothing, saying: 'You know, my son died trying to protect his fellow soldiers, but for the ultimate cause of stabilizing the country and establishing a good government, yes, it was a sacrifice that was for naught.'

Jonathan died on July 13, 2008 in what was at the time the 'single deadliest attack since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan,' the Military Times reported.

According to the newspaper, more than 200 enemy fighters swarmed a small, remote combat outpost near Wanat outnumbering US soldiers by at least 2 to 1.

Nine US soldiers were killed and 15 others were wounded in the attack.  

Stephenson says she copes with the loss of her son by focusing on the blessings of his life and his organ donations

Jill Stephenson holds a photo of her son, Army Ranger Ben Kopp who was fatally shot during a July 2009 firefight with Taliban forces in Afghanistan. As the militant group has gained power in the country, Stephenson is questioning if Kopp's sacrifice was worth it

The Taliban triumph occurred just over 12 years after Kopp, 21, saved six fellow soldiers during a battle in southern Helmand Province in which he was fatally shot in the leg. He suffered cardiac arrest on the operating table in Afghanistan and was left brain dead.   

Eight days after he was shot, Kopp was taken off life support. His heart, kidneys, liver, skin, bone and tissue were donated and helped save the lives of four people.

'It's an amazing gift,' said Judy Meikle, 69, who was the recipient of Kopp's heart. Meikle was diagnosed with congenital heart disease a few months before Kopp died.

Stephenson says she copes with the loss of her son by focusing on the blessings of his life and his organ donations.  

'I believe Ben's mission was completed in the time that he was here and he would not have been able to fulfill that mission had he not been an Army Ranger, had he not deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, had things not turned out the way they did and him becoming an organ donor,' she said.  

Kopp was 13 when the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, and he vowed that evening to become an Army Ranger. He was eventually deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Kopp (seen in a photograph held by his mother) vowed to become an Army Ranger when the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. He was 13 at the time

According to his obituary, Kopp distinguished himself with the Army Achievement Medal with two awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. Posthumously he was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor, The Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart. 

Like Stephenson, other Gold Star parents have chosen to speak out about the sacrifice of their loved ones as the as the Taliban continues to conquer Afghanistan.

Many have also found themselves pondering the lessons of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.  

Jean Durgin, 82, was saddened to watch the Taliban retake Afghanistan, but says her main message is one of remembrance.

'It's our sons and daughters and husbands who have gone there to fight, and so many have lost their lives. So many have returned with the war still battling in their minds,' she explained.

Her 23-year-old son, Army Sergeant Russell Durgin, a sniper leader, was killed by small arms fire on June 13, 2006 in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. He had completed a combat tour in Iraq before heading to Afghanistan. 

Army Sergeant Russell Durgin, a sniper leader, (seen in photograph held by his brother) was killed by small arms fire on June 13, 2006 in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. He had completed a combat tour in Iraq before heading to Afghanistan

Durgin also sympathizes with the Afghan people and questions the US mission there.

She said when her son died, she questioned his commanders: 'Why wasn't there more cover? How could you leave him up on that mountain with no cover?'

She said she was told they didn't have sufficient numbers because fighters had been diverted to Iraq.

'That made me angry,' she said. 'Well, I was already angry. But that added to it.'

'If we didn't have the numbers, why didn't we leave?' she said, adding that she believes US troops should have been pulled out of Afghanistan before her son was deployed there.

In April, as he announced America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said the Afghan people must decide their own future and that the United States should not have to sacrifice members of another generation in an unwinnable war.

Durgin, like Stephenson, said her son's death was not in vain.

'It was Russell's life. He made that decision I believe out of love for his country and because he believed we were doing the right thing,' she explained.

'His life is not wasted because he lives on. People remember him. I'm surrounded by memorabilia, things people have sent me, things people do.' 

Joe Kelley , whose son was killed in combat said he was experiencing 'mixed emotions' about the withdrawal from Afghanistan and called the decision a 'slap in the face'.

Army National Guard Sgt. Michael Kelley died in combat in June 2005

Joe Kelley, whose son, Army National Guard Sgt. Michael Kelley, died in combat in June 2005, said he was experiencing 'mixed emotions' about the withdrawal from Afghanistan and called the decision a 'slap in the face'.

'I'm in shock,' he told WBZ Monday night at a candlelight vigil in Boston remembering Massachusetts' fallen veterans. 

'What's really upsetting to me is there's an army of over 300 Afghanistan soldiers that left. They didn't even defend their own country, and my son died for their country. He was killed in action. So that's a slap in the face to me.' 

While he is upset, Kelley also believes that his son's efforts were not in vain. 

'I believe that the Afghan folks have actually seen what freedom is all about and I believe that my son and others – the thousands of people that didn't come back – planted the seeds of freedom, and we hope those seeds will spawn someday,' he said.

The father also shared that there is a school in Afghanistan named after Michael Kelley. It houses 600 students, 200 of whom are girls. 

'We are praying that the Taliban will not stop that,' he said. Historically, the Taliban has expressed issues surrounding the education of women. 

Wyatt Martin was killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device while alongside his sergeant. His father, Brian Martin, says in wake of the Taliban's insurgence, Wyatt's death 'feels like a waste'

Brian Martin, who lost his son, Wyatt, in December of 2014, echoed Kelley's frustrations.

'No, we're not happy. I mean, we gave a big sacrifice here and we want it to mean something,' Martin told AZfamily.com.

Wyatt, a combat engineer on patrol, was killed by an improvised explosive device alongside his sergeant. His father said he was one of the last two official KIAs for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Brian Martin said it feels as if 'things are going backwards in Afghanistan and his son's efforts were wasted.

'It feels like in waste some ways. Why didn't we stay there? We had a commitment to do it right. I know Wyatt would have wanted us to stay there and do it correctly,' Martin shared.

He added: 'We left literal blood over there.' 

Gretchen Catherwood , who lost her son in the war, has described the last few days as being 'a rollercoaster of emotions'

Alec Catherwood, was killed in combat in October 2010, just three weeks after his unit arrived in Afghanistan. His mother, Gretchen, wants all the military members who fought in Afghanistan to realize the difference they made on the nation

Another parent has described the last few days as being 'a rollercoaster of emotions'.

'I' been sad, and angry, and disappointed, and scared, and numb. It's like losing my son all over again. It's all of those things wrapped up into one,' Gretchen Catherwood told Yahoo News. 

Her son, Alec Catherwood, was a lance corporal in the Marine Corps. He was killed in combat in October 2010, just three weeks after his unit arrived in Afghanistan.

Gretchen Catherwood wants all the military members who fought in Afghanistan to realize the difference they made on the nation.

'I really pray that the men and women who came home don't feel like they were there for nothing, because it wasn't for nothing. It just wasn't,' she said. 'I will never believe that and I will never believe my son died in vain.' 

Catherwood said Alec became a Marine because he wanted to make the world better.

'Before he left, my niece, who was 10 years old, asked him why he had to go, how come other people couldn't go, and he said he had to go because he wanted to make sure little girls in Afghanistan could go to school like she could. And he believed that. He really, deep down in his heart, believed that he was going to make a difference,' Catherwood explained. 

She notes that Alec 'died doing what he believed in' and that although his actions did not change the outcome of the war, they definitely impacted the lives of Afghan citizens. 

Krista Keating-Joseph said she fears for the Afghan families who will loose their children like she did. Her son, Charlie , was a Navy SEAL who was killed in action

Speaking to Fox News on Monday, another Gold Star parent, Krista Keating-Joseph, said she feared for the Afghan families who would lose their children like she had.

Her son, Charlie Keating IV, 31, was killed in May 2016 in a firefight with ISIS. He was awarded the Silver Star award several days after his death for coordinating US and allied forces in a defense against over 100 enemy fighters in Iraq, the Citrus County Chronicle reported.

Keating-Joseph claimed Charlie was motivated to become a Navy SEAL after thousands of Americans lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. 

'He went in there to do his job – he did his job. In matter of fact, because of him and others who have died, he saved a Christian village, he helped those people, he started stabilizing their area,' she explained.

'It's sad because those Christian families and those mothers are going to lose their children like I did...It's over for them.'

Similarly, David Horton expressed concern for the safety of Americans with the Taliban in power. 

Chris Horton was killed fighting in Afghanistan. His family members say they are saddened by the withdrawal from the nation and how things were left in 'such a disarray'

'My son … laid down his life. He was killed in action. Chris was fighting for what he believed in, to protect our freedoms here,' Horton told Fox News.

'A secure Afghanistan made our nation more secure. So, we're just sad to see this. I agree, we had to leave, we didn't have to leave this way and with things in such a disarray.'

Army Specialist Chris Horton, 26, was a sniper killed in action on September 9, 2011 while serving in Afghanistan with the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. According to his obituary, he was killed when his unit was attacked with small arms fire in Zormat, Paktia Province. 

Meanwhile, the US military announced Tuesday that it was stepping up its evacuation from Afghanistan and that the Taliban were not interrupting operations at the Kabul airport. 

Major General Hank Taylor said that US military officials at the airport had been in communication with commanders of Taliban forces in recent days and that they were confident that the removal of thousands of US citizens and Afghans fleeing the country on US military aircraft would continue over the coming days.

'We have had no hostile interactions, no attack and no threat by the Taliban,' said Taylor, a senior official with the Pentagon' Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Taylor said that since the airport was reopened early Tuesday following an hours-long closure for security problems, the US military has evacuated close to 800 people, among them 165 Americans, on seven flights.

The US Department of Defense has poured troops into the airport since Saturday to protect the exodus as the Taliban insurgents entered Kabul after a lightning siege across the country and seized power.

Taliban fighters are now controlling the entry to the airport and have seized all of the access points leading to it in Kabul. It forces NATO troops to rely on them to allow evacuees into the airport to board flights 

Afghan security guards try and maintain order as hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.  There are now 'three rings' around the airport and the Taliban controls the outer ring

Officials in charge of the evacuations said they would fly 5,000 a day out of the Taliban stronghold, despite only managing to get 1,400 out in the three days since the city fell and while as many as 40,000 may remain stranded including in remote parts of the country.  

The Taliban is fast encroaching on the airport in Kabul. Its fighters are now in charge of every access point on the way from the city to the airport, and they have set up guard at the airport's entrance which means NATO troops are relying on their cooperation to safely get foreign nationals and Afghan refugees through the gates and onto planes.

The situation at the airport was decidedly calmer on Tuesday than on Monday, when eight Afghan nationals were killed by clinging onto moving US jets or jumping on their exteriors before they took off in a desperate attempt to escape. Two people were shot dead by US troops who resorted to using apache helicopters and firing warning shots to disperse crowds of thousands of frenzied Afghans on the airfield.

Footage from the airport depicted hundreds of Afghans on the runway trying to impede a giant C-17 transport and clinging to it. Videos appeared to show two people falling to their deaths from the aircraft after it took off.

Another was later found dead in a wheel well.

A C-17 jet carrying 640 Afghan refugees that left Kabul on Sunday night as the Taliban claimed the city. The Afghan nationals ran on board while the ramp was open and the US troops in charge decided to take off. The same planes are still being used to evacuate but only 100 or so people per flight are being boarded and it's unclear why, when thousands remain in need of rescue

The body of an Afghan man is trapped in the wheel arch of a C-17 transport plane that took off from Kabul Airport on Monday

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said those incidents were being looked into by the US Air Force.

Taylor did not provide any figures on how many people, US citizens or other nationals, or Afghan citizens, were currently in the airport seeking to leave.

He revealed Tuesday morning that 700 people were flown out of the region overnight on seven C-17 jets. The number includes 165 US citizens and the rest were for foreign nationals. 

The United States has pledged to accept tens of thousands of people such as translators who worked for US forces and their families, as they fear retribution from the Taliban.  

More than a thousand have been evacuated since the operations began three days ago.

Kirby estimates between 5,000 and 10,000 Americans remain in Kabul alone.