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"Burn Pits" Blamed For Veterans' Illnesses: Local Family Raising Awareness
Posted: Jul 6, 2011 8:11 PM by Steven Romo - sromo@kristv.com
Updated: Jul 7, 2011 12:36 AM
CORPUS CHRISTI - A local Iraq war veteran continues to suffer severe lung disease, which he says was caused while serving overseas. Captain Leroy Torres and his family are now trying to bring attention to what they say is this generation's Agent Orange.
They say the illnesses are caused by burn pits used to dispose chemicals and waste overseas.
Captain Torres served in the military for 21 years before coming home from Iraq in 2008. Ever since then he and his family have been engaged in a different fight: the fight for Leroy's health.
While serving overseas Leroy says burn pits were a constant presence. He says waste, debris and chemicals were destroyed in the fiery pits which burned 24 hours a day near his Army barracks.
We last spoke with him in January when the cold air was taking it's toll on his lungs.
Now, he is getting treatment in Denver at the National Jewish Medical Center, but he says the cost for medical bills is also taking its toll.
"Unfortunately, I haven't been successful with the VA. They denied my claim- my reimbursement. All of that was denied," he said.
As Leroy continues fighting for his own health and benefits, his wife Rosie, who we also met back in January, says she is fighting for awareness and help for everyone affected by burn pits.
Last month, she went to Washington DC to meet with legislators.
She says she spoke with local Representative Blake Farenthold, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and more about how to make changes on national policies which she says are preventing these victims from getting adequate care.
Her focus: creating a national registry for burn pit victims.
"That's going to be the foundation of justifying specialized health care and also for in the future for connecting which soldiers were actually exposed," Rosie said.
Rosie maintains a local registry of burn pit victims at their website BurnPits360.org, but she says a national registry is the next step for helping veterans like her husband.
"If we don't spread the word about the registry and we don't build on that then we will be the next agent orange and it will be 25 years from now before we get acknowledgment.," she said.
The Torres family says Representative Blake Farnethold and other leaders have agreed to support a bill to create the national "Burn Pit Victim" Registry.
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