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How a Texas couple led a long crusade and won protections for veterans exposed to toxic fumes

Le Roy and Rosie Torres founded the Burn Pits 360 group that advocated for years for Congress to help veterans suffering from injuries caused by the massive disposal sites on overseas bases. Le Roy came home from Iraq suffering from breathing problems.

By Michael McAuliff, Kaiser Health News
Le Roy Torres of Robstown, Texas, pictured on Capitol Hill in June 2022, began developing respiratory problems in 2008 linked to the burn pits at his Army base in Iraq. He and his wife, Rosie, founded the advocacy group Burn Pits 360 and fought for years for legislation that would guarantee veterans suffering from those toxic fumes would have their illnesses covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Brian Alvarado of Long Beach, California, pictured in 2021, is a Marine Corps veteran who attributes his neck and throat cancer to inhaling smoke from burn pits during the Iraq War. Alvarado worries that the Department of Veterans Affairs will be hard-pressed to handle the influx of cases under the newly passed PACT Act.
Brian Alvarado of Long Beach, California, pictured in 2021 with his wife and daughter, is a Marine Corps veteran who attributes his neck and throat cancer to inhaling smoke from burn pits during the Iraq War. Alvarado worries that the Department of Veterans Affairs will be hard-pressed to handle the influx of cases under the newly passed PACT Act.

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