DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - With thousands struggling to get out of Afghanistan, lawmakers and veterans in Illinois are trying to help with evacuations.
 
Kiyoshi Mino is a veteran who served from 2001 to 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan three times. He said he has friends still there and is desperate to help them get out.
 
"They think that they're going to die," Mino said. "If they can't get out of the country, that's the end."
 
He said as a veteran, everything that has happened is especially hard to watch.
 
"I think for all the veterans in general that have been over there, fought, sacrificed, it feels kind of like a betrayal," Mino said. 
 
He worked with Afghan allies who were interpreters and, like many others, they are having a difficult time getting out.
 
"One of my friends was given permission to fly out, but he couldn't make it to the airport. But then another one of my friends hasn't even gotten that permission. There's a lot that still needs to be done and I don't think it's going to be done in time," said Mino.
 
Lawmakers like Rodney Davis are actively trying to help. He posted on Facebook telling people to call his office for help.
 
"When you look ahead, we want to make sure we look back too and we (have got to) look back at 20 years of Afghan citizens and military members and government officials that worked with the United States that we deserve to help and they deserve our help," Davis said. 

David said they already have a few cases they are actively working on with the state department to get people visas.