Colorado Army Veteran & Afghanistan Interpreter Will Reunite As Neighbors

DENVER (CBS4) – Hundreds of Coloradans are rolling retired the invited mat for an Afghan interpreter and his family. CBS Denver has followed the extraordinary travel of Ahmad Siddiqi since it began past month. He escaped Afghanistan with the assistance of Army seasoned Scott Henkel and his woman Heidi.

The 2 men forged a relationship 14 years agone erstwhile they served unneurotic successful Afghanistan. Henkel says Siddiqi saved his life.

When the Taliban took power past month, the Henkils, of Broomfield, Colorado enactment their lives connected clasp and, utilizing each transportation they had, helped Siddiqi, his woman and 4 kids evacuate. The household is present headed to Colorado wherever their communicative has inspired a monolithic amusement of support.

Heidi says it’s been a whirlwind 2 weeks arsenic coordinating donations has go a full-time job.

“We had bikes donated. We person had clothes. We had a car donated arsenic well. It’s conscionable been this outpouring of love.”

A section constabulary serviceman and his woman adjacent opened up their location to the Afghan family.

“I’ve been wholly blown distant by people’s generosity,” said Scott.

There’s a bunk furniture and a playset for the kids, who Scott says nary longer person to fearfulness the Taliban.

“Can’t hold for them to spell play and beryllium escaped and safe.”

Local moms besides donated Afghan spices and dresses for Siddiqi’s wife.

“It was truly neat to person section mothers travel unneurotic and accidental ‘How is the parent doing? Because we cognize there’s a ample load that she’s bearing arsenic well,'” said Heidi. “One of the things I wanted to marque definite is we had photos of his location wherever helium grew up to marque definite they had astatine slightest immoderate benignant of portion of home.”

A location that Scott says his person volition apt ne'er instrumentality to.

“Our imagination of going backmost 1 time and going sportfishing successful immoderate of these streams you spot there, it’s ne'er going to happen. Not successful our lifetime, but I cognize and perceive successful his dependable however excited helium is to commencement his beingness present successful America.”

Scott says helium ever knew helium would spot Siddiqi again.

“But ne'er successful my wildest dreams deliberation he’d beryllium a neighbor. How chill is that? We’re going to beryllium better. I cognize we’re going to beryllium amended with Afghans successful the community. Absolutely, we volition beryllium a  amended nine and country.

The Henkels received truthful overmuch involvement successful the Siddiqui family, they acceptable up a Facebook leafage for them. Ahmad, they say, is already getting occupation offers since helium speaks 4 languages. The children — who talk English — are already enrolled successful a adjacent simple school.

The household should beryllium present successful the adjacent mates weeks, and the Henkles are readying to reunite Scott’s full Army squad from Afghanistan to walk Thanksgiving with the Siddiqi’s.

The household is among 856 Afghan refugees who are expected to resettle successful Colorado. The Metro Denver North Islamic Center acceptable up a GoFundMe account to assistance the refugees.