It is sure to be an enduring image of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, with his weapon in hand, bathed in the green light of night vision, was photographed climbing the ramp of a C-17 cargo plane. Behind Donahue is the empty tarmac of Kabul Airport.

Donahue, the commander of the 82d Airborne Division, was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan, marking the end of military operations there. That photograph leaves little doubt about the moment of “leaving,” but it is also an image of an American soldier headed home.

And we have to ask ourselves if we have done our part here to honor all of their sacrifices over there. Just consider the big issues that have torn away at us while our soldiers were fighting to instill American values on foreign soil.

A substantial number of Americans have so little confidence in science and knowledge that they refuse to take the most basic advice to protect themselves, their neighbors and our national interest from a deadly virus. As the delta variant surges, people are dying needlessly.

We could be past this, but there is no arguing with someone who would rather take an unproven drug touted on the internet than accept a free lifesaving vaccine approved by the world’s leading scientific minds.

In 2005, American troops pulled out all the stops to guarantee free elections in Iraq. Attack helicopters and drones were used to clear routes to the polls. Demolition experts defused bombs. And proud Iraqis displayed purple fingers, stained with the ink used to mark their ballots, as proof of their newfound freedom.

But there are still some Americans who refuse to believe that our last national election was fair and honest. Their proof is that it did not turn out the way they wanted it to, and no amount of convincing will change their minds. Republican and Democratic judges have dismissed claims of fraud, but they cannot compete with a television pillow salesman who claims otherwise.

When insurrectionists attacked our Capitol Jan. 6, police forces and military troops accepted the call to defend our government. Some were beaten with American flagpoles. The investigation continues, but not without frequent official attempts to hide the truth.

Last week, just as our troops were ending their service in Afghanistan, Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy threatened to punish American companies if they complied with legal requests for phone records that are relevant to the investigation. So much for the ideals of American truth and justice.

The point is that we must do better to properly honor our troops. We will always have political differences, but we have been too far apart for too long on too many big issues. And those who answer the call of duty deserve better from us.

As Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command, said when that last C-17 took off from Kabul, “The last manned aircraft is now clearing the airspace above Afghanistan. No words from me could possibly capture the full measure of sacrifices and accomplishments of those who served.”

And we can add this: Let’s do our best here at home to sustain and honor the democratic community these troops fought to preserve.

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