By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
A RETIRED U.S. Marine’s insistence on proper medical accommodations led to a private medevac jet being dispatched to Saipan on Monday, ensuring he could safely travel for critical spinal‑cord treatment in Hawaii.
Master Sgt. Ambrosio Tagabuel Ogumoro, who served more than 22 years in the Marine Corps before retiring in 1999, has been paralyzed and wheelchair‑bound since a surgery a year and a half ago left him with a spinal cord injury. His condition requires coordinated care from specialists at Tripler Army Medical Center.
Ogumoro departed Saipan for Hawaii on Monday aboard the medevac aircraft. His surgery is scheduled for Thursday, Hawaii time.
The trip carried added emotional weight: Ogumoro is scheduled to meet the neurosurgeon whose operation left him paralyzed — an appointment he described as difficult but necessary. The journey was nearly derailed when he was again assigned a commercial travel arrangement that did not meet his medical needs, echoing a previous incident in which he had to pay out of pocket for a seat upgrade.
Ogumoro immediately contacted his local VA care team in Saipan, including Dr. Norma Ada and nurse Leslie Camacho, to report the issue and request assistance.
That act of self‑advocacy set off a rapid response. The Saipan VA team coordinated with their counterparts in Hawaii, ultimately securing a full medevac air transport to ensure he could travel safely and receive the specialized care required for his condition.
“I traveled the world to fight for freedom, and now I’m fighting for my life,” Ogumoro said, reflecting on the contrast between his military service and his current medical struggle.
He credited the outcome to persistent advocacy — both his own and that of local and federal leaders — noting that support from providers and policymakers, including U.S. Congresswoman Kimberlyn King‑Hinds, helped ensure veterans’ medical needs are taken seriously.
For Ogumoro, the successful medevac was more than a logistical solution. It was a reminder, he said, that veterans must speak up for their needs and that compassionate leadership can make the difference between inadequate care and dignified treatment.
His experience, he added, should encourage other veterans navigating complex medical systems to advocate for themselves and seek the support they deserve.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
