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Bid for US military airlift flights to resume via American Samoa

Meleagi Suitonu Chapman [SN file photo]

A petition is to be presented to the US Secretary of Defence in a bid to reinstate military airlift command flights to American Samoa.

The woman behind it the campaign, a military dependent and former congressional candidate Meleagi Chapman, says she hopes to gain 5,000 signatures.

She said veterans and their dependants had to take expensive commercial flights when they went to Honolulu for medical check-ups because there were no military flights stopping in American Samoa.

Mrs Chapman said the petition asked that the US Department of Defence afforded them the same privileges as veterans in other US jurisdictions.

"To me it's like we have been forgotten and again that's a shame because our veterans have fought for many things and the number thing is for freedom. And here they come home and we can't give them that flight to go for their medicare needs in Honolulu."

In the past, military flights made regular refuelling stops in Pago Pago and they were well used by veterans and their dependants.