An Air Force veteran says he sprayed thousands of litres of the toxic chemical, Agent Orange, at a United States airbase on Guam, possibly contributing to several illnesses and deaths.
A U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52G-125-BW Stratofortress (s/n 59-2582) from the 72nd Strategic Wing (Provisional) waits beside the runway at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (USA), as another B-52 takes off for a bombing mission over North Vietnam during Operation Linebacker II on 15 December 1972. Photo: USAF
Leroy Foster, who was stationed on the island during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and '70s, says he sprayed the chemical to control vegetation at Andersen Air Force base.
Agent Orange was used extensively by the US military as a defoliant during the war, but it has since been found to be highly toxic, and is linked to cancers, deformities and numerous other illnesses.
Mr Foster, who now has several cancers and whose grandchild was born with 24 fingers and toes, told Florida's NBC News he believes the spraying contributed to many people on Guam falling ill.
The US Department of Defence denies Agent Orange was ever used on Guam - where many bombing missions took off from - which hinders those who were stationed there from seeking compensation.
However, a 2004 report from the chemical's manufacturer, Dow, discusses contamination of soldiers stationed on Guam.
