SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - A local chapter of a national non-profit is hard at work protecting some of the most under recognized supporters of troops in foreign lands- combat interpreters.
The San Diego chapter of No One Left Behind is hosting the Save our Combat Terps outreach and fundraising event this Sunday, August 6, at the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park.
Iraq War veteran and author of “A Foreign Affair” Amanda Matti will be there signing and selling her new book and sharing her story.
Matti served as a foreign affairs liaison officer in Iraq where she met her husband who was a combat interpreter. After the war was over, Matti’s husband was stuck in Iraq dealing with the ever present danger of Al Qaeda threatening him and his family as payback for helping the other side.
Matti worked for two years to get her husband to safety in the U.S. A special visa that exists now wasn’t available to her 12 years ago, and organizations like No One Left Behind weren’t around either.
No One Left Behind’s local chapter of volunteers plays an especially important role, because, according to Matti, a large amount of Special Immigrant Visa holders are sent to San Diego where well-established social assistance programs and infrastructure already exist.
The event runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on how you can support No One Left Behind visit NoOneLeft.org.
