Blue Water Navy in Washington fighting to get benefits for Guam veterans

WASHINGTON -– The Blue Water Navy is back in Washington, this time to help service members that were exposed to Agent Orange in other locations during the Vietnam War.

“Our veterans in Guam are suffering and dying daily,” Blue Water Navy Vice Commander Mike Kvintus said.

Kvintus was in D.C. just two months ago pushing for Agent Orange benefits for those who served in Vietnam.

Now he’s back to make sure those stationed in Guam aren’t forgotten.

“We need Congress to pick this up, get it passed and get our Guam veterans taken care of,” he added.

Eighty-five co-sponsors have already signed onto a House bill supporting these efforts. But as of now, there isn’t a companion piece of legislation in the Senate.

“We’re not giving up,” Brian Moyer, a former marine in Guam, said Friday.

Moyer recently went back to show the exact areas that were sprayed by the toxins using maps dating back to 1975.

“I had a phone call with the U.S. EPA and they told me they got positive detections for dioxins at all the locations that we went to,” he said.

Moyer is optimistic they’ll get the support from both sides of Congress and make something happen for this Guam Vietnam vets.

“We’re doing good things up here like I saw everybody seems very, very interested.”