Ron White served eight months in Afghanistan in 2007, and more than 10 years later he's conflicted about the best course of action to end the war.
"I don't think anybody hates war more than somebody who's been to war," White said. "I don't want to see an escalation. I don't want to see more American deaths. I don't want to see more Afghan deaths. I don't want to see more ISIS deaths. I want it to stop."
White talked to NBC 5 ahead of President Trump addressing the nation Monday night about his strategy for the war in Afghanistan.
"If we laid down our arms, we would be slaughtered. If they laid down their arms, there would be peace. There has to be a military presence and military solution, but I gotta think there has to be some negotiations too," said White.
White hopes the situation in Afghanistan gets better.
"I hope we don't always have to be in Afghanistan, but if it's in an advisory role or support role, then maybe that is OK," White said. "I don't know if we're going to solve the problem of humanity wanting to kill each other."
White keeps an American flag on his shelf of memorabilia. "I flew it for 9 minutes 11 seconds on September 11 over the base," White explained.
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For the last 5-years, White has made it a priority to remember American military veterans who died serving in Afghanistan. He has a folder filled with their names and ranks in the order of their deaths. White has memorized them all.
"It's just a way to keep their memory alive," explained White. "To say you are significant, you are important, and you're worth remembering."
On Saturday from noon until 7:00 p.m., White will write the names, from memory, of those who died in the war in Afghanistan on a wall outside the Haltom City American Legion. The event is a fundraiser for a Veterans Memorial Park.
