In 1981, Lt. Col. Kris E. Roberts, then head of maintenance at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, discovered dozens of barrels of hazardous waste — some believed to contain Agent Orange — buried on the installation, a story first reported in 2012 in The Japan Times (bit.ly/okinawaaovet) In 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs ruled he had been exposed to hazardous chemicals and awarded him compensation (bit.ly/okinawaaocomp) The U.S. government continues to deny Vietnam War-era defoliants were ever stored on Okinawa.
Becoming a U.S. Marine Corps officer is a privilege that very few have the honor of earning. However, with that privilege comes awesome responsibilities.
Being a Marine Corps officer is far more than successfully accomplishing the mission — even more important is the welfare of the people you are responsible for. They are your family — and for me, this includes the Okinawan workers with whom I worked at MCAS Futenma more than 35 years ago.
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