FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (October 20, 2018 – Hagåtña)

I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Master Sergeant Leroy Foster yesterday evening. Master Sgt. Foster’s relentless fight to expose the truth of Agent Orange use on Guam and obtain justice for his fellow Veterans and the people of Guam, was instrumental to the introduction of H.R. 809- The FOSTER (Fighting for Orange-Stricken Territories in Eastern Regions) Act, named in his honor by Representative Dennis A. Ross, R-Florida.

Master Sgt. Foster served at Andersen Air Force base in Guam during the Vietnam War, where he says he sprayed tens of thousands of gallons of Agent Orange in and around the base and along the fuel lines that run through the island from the Navy’s Sasa Valley Fuel Farm to Anderson Air Force Base. He was later diagnosed with five (5) different cancers and twenty-eight (28) autoimmune diseases that he attributes to his exposure to Agent Orange while stationed on Guam.

H.R. 809-The FOSTER Act would allow eligible Veterans who served in Guam, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa during the Vietnam War to receive expedited consideration for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits if they suffer from diseases the U.S. government has linked to the herbicide Agent Orange.

We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his courage to speak the truth and pave the way to achieving justice for our Veterans and our people. I send my deepest condolences to the Foster family during this very difficult time.