None of the 800 Afghans on that plane were checked against 'the list' of people who actually helped Americans.
And yes, there is a list. It was NOT used.
If any of those 800 Afghans had brought an American with them to the airport to escape I would be impressed. But most of them not only did NOT bring an American - they left their wives and children and flew out without them.
I do. It’s a powerful meme.