U.S. Vets in Samoa Inform Aumua of Their Issues

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Congresswoman Aumua Amata heard from veterans residing in Samoa about their needs during a trip to Samoa last week.

The congresswoman was in Apia as part of a seminar funded by the US Embassy for women candidates in Samoa’s general elections next week.

Meeting with a group of US veterans, the congresswoman shared her discussion with Bob McDonald, the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, and about her office’s efforts to enable U.S. national and non-immigrant veterans to apply for citizenship through her District Office in Pago Pago.

According to a press release, to date the first few veterans have received U.S. citizen status, with many more soon to follow.

The congresswoman also touched on her efforts to expand and improve the level of care available at LBJ, to include veterans.

Currently, LBJ does not meet VA standards, thereby forcing those veterans who live in American Samoa, and Independent Samoa to travel to Hawaii for treatment that requires hospital level care.

The U.S. Veterans of Samoa, informed the congresswoman of some of the issues that they are most concerned with.

These include funerals for U.S. veterans in Samoa, the inability of veterans who reside in Samoa, to get access to VA personnel traveling from Hawaii to American Samoa, and Military Airlift Command (MAC) flights for veterans services.

The Congresswoman assured the veterans that she hears their concerns and that she would address any and all she could in Washington.

The President of the US Veterans of Samoa is Mark J. Moors whose father and siblings are also veterans: Father: Harry W. Moors (US Army), and Brothers: Harry J. Moors (US Navy), Oliver B. Moors (US Air Force), Frank H. Moors (US Army), Mark J. Moors (US Air Force), John R. Moors (US Army).

Members of the group include Fridtjof Kiofu Nansen, Hans J. Keil, Adolf Arp, Berger Nu’usa, Vainu’upo Nu’usa and Richard Keil.

Aumua said, “As the Representative of American Samoa, and knowing that those veterans who reside in Independent Samoa have no representation in Congress, I want to extend my office’s assistance to them, and want to ensure them that their service to our nation has not been forgotten, and that the United States fulfills its obligations to these veterans who have served with honor.”

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