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Subscribe to RSSOver the span of 35 years, between 500,000 and 1 million people were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, one of the most storied Marine bases in the country. A group of men have banded together saying that their surprising breast cancer diagnoses are linked to Camp Lejeune's contaminated water. Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.
Some of the wells that supplied drinking water to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were contaminated by cancer-causing solvents for as long as 60 years, a new federal report shows.
Month-by-month calculations show that Marines and their families at the base drank and bathed in water that may have been tainted with trichloroethylene (TCE) from 1948 through 2008. Other water sources were contaminated with benzene from 1951 to 2008, the report shows.
Federal officials have known for years that the base’s water supply was badly contaminated, from fuel leaks and probably from a dry-cleaning plant as well.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million people were exposed to the contaminated water from 1953 to 1987, when the last of several contaminated wells were closed. The new report takes the potential estimates back five years earlier.
"It is possible," Dr. Christopher Portier, director of the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, told NBC News. But he says he believes it more likely the contamination began in 1953, as previously estimated.
"It is most likely that TCE first exceeded its current MCL (maximum contaminant level) during August 1953, but this exceedance could have been as early as November 1948 if releases of TCE to the subsurface began during or immediately following the onset of construction (1941/1942) of USMCB Camp Lejeune," the agency writes in a report to be published Friday.
The highest levels were not reached until decades later, however, depending on the chemical. The highest levels of TCE, for example, were reached in the late 1970s. To add to the complication, each housing and office area on the sprawling base was affected differently.
Marines have complained they and their children suffered cancer, including breast cancer and fatal leukemia, because of the contamination. NBC’s Rock Center reported on the cases in February.
The chemicals found in the water are linked not only with cancer, but with aplastic anemia, kidney disease, infertility, lupus, Parkinson’s disease and other conditions. The findings mean people who lived at the base during the affected times can seek compensation and medical care from the federal government.
"This release marks a major milestone towards the completion of scientific efforts pertaining to this issue and another step in ongoing efforts to provide comprehensive science-based answers to the health questions that have been raised," the Marine Corps said in a statement.
"ATSDR will use these results and the results of a similar water model developed for the Tarawa Terrace area in 2007 to estimate chemical exposures for several of their on-going health studies." The Marines has a website dedicated to the case here.
Portier says someone who lived or worked at the base for 20 years would be at higher risk than someone who was stationed there for only two years. But women who were pregnant while at the base and children have different risks.
The ATSDR came up with the projections after making measurements of known leakage rates and sources of the chemicals into wells that supplied the base’s Hadnot Point Water Treatment Plant. It opened in 1942.
“The ATSDR is conducting epidemiological studies to evaluate the potential for health effects from exposures to volatile organic compounds [tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (1,2-tDCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and benzene] in finished water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,” it said. Most of the chemicals are certain or probable cancer-causing agents.
Portier says it’s not an exact science, but extrapolations made by looking at known contamination levels, studying groundwater seepage rates and the rates that chemicals dissolve in water. “We try to go backwards from what we are seeing today to what happened in the past,” he said.
"Basically, it's vindication and confirmation for what I've been saying for nearly 16 years," retired Marine Staff Sgt. Jerry Ensminger told the Associated Press. Ensminger, who attended a briefing on the report on Thursday, believes the contamination cause the leukemia that killed his 9-year-old daughter Janey. "The truth is finally coming out."
Portier says investigators will use the data to help assess the health risks to people who lived at the base. Different water sources had differing levels of contamination over the years. One report, looking at cancer cases among 12,500 children born at the base, will come out soon, Portier said. Another looks at deaths among Marines who were stationed there and will also come out soon. A third report, looking at health overall, should be finished in two years, he says.
"For each of those people who identified themselves as having the diseases we are interested in, they have to go get their health records," Portier says. "For 70,000 people, that takes a very long time."
The United States Marine Corps started routinely testing tap water in 1980. Officials have said it took them four years to determine which wells were contaminated, and that once those wells were identified, they were shut down immediately
“The level [of contamination] in the drinking water was the highest that I've ever seen,” said Dr. Richard Clapp, an epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts. “I've been working on this kind of thing for 30 years. I have never heard of a community that's had the levels of contaminants that they had at Camp Lejeune.”
He has examined the data from Camp Lejeune and says he believes the contamination and the cancers are related. “The cluster of disease-- for example, male breast cancer-- may also turn out to be the highest that's been seen anywhere,” Clapp told Rock Center in February.
The VA has a website for people who think they may have been affected.
Under a law signed Aug. 6, 2012 , veterans and family members who served on active duty or resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between Jan. 1, 1957 and Dec. 31, 1987 may be eligible for medical care through VA for 15 health conditions,” the site reads.
They include lung, breast and bladder cancer, leukemia, infertility, kidney damage and other conditions.
Related:
Marine Corps response to NBC Rock Center story
Leave a Comment:
Thank you for this article. It must have been a secret law because this is the first I am hearing about it. I was stationed there for over 6 months in the early 80's and almost never left the base!
How smart men are we are at a no turning back point
I heard of this some time ago. Now, are they checking to see if the chemicals leeched out into Jacksonville, and Onlow county?
The Marines wanted them all to die.
.
I heard about this a year or two ago when some of the men reported that they had breast cancer and said it had to do with the water at this base.
that is probably not too far from the truth.i served at lejuene from 82-86 i was with 10th marines at hadnot point.my first letter was from the dept of the navy they said that there was no evidence that it caused us any damage and they considered the matter closed.then my senators kay hagen and richard burr got involved and things turned around.yes i do believe they wanted to sweep this under the carpet,and hoped we would just die off or go away,imho the damage is done there is not much they can do now!
Just goes to show you that a lot of things are caused by us humans. Really makes you wonder what the real cancer rate would be (if any) without human influence through artificial things (food, chemicals, drugs, etc).
Abt 1 million people at risk so you know the sh1t is about to hit the fan. My nephew was born there in 53 and he has been in bad health most of his life. His father had 2 tours there and he died in middle age.
They(the gov.) knew about this and did nothing. That is sad, sad, sad, and criminal.
This is ABSOLUTELY FRICKIN' UNFORGIVABLE!!!!
I hope all of the people and the families that were affected by this get due compensation. I hope they get millions in damages and I really hope those who covered this up rot for the rest of their lives in prison. This is murder if you ask me.
Makes me so sad and furious at the same time.
The worst thing is, most of the money that will be legislated by the government to pay for this will go to the blood-sucking lawyers.
You can see the ads now.
"Have you been diagnosed with cancer, aplastic anemia, kidney disease, infertility, lupus, Parkinson’s disease or any other conditions? You may be eligible for compensation. Just call 1-800-LEJEUNE for a FREE consultation."
My daughter lived near Camp LeJuene for ten years and died from liver disease at age 49. She did not drink . It was devastating.
This doesn't suprise me at all. Monsanto notified the government that agent orange contained dioxin in 1953. Didn't stop them from spraying it all over me.
I received a letter notifying me of this problem 2 years ago. They have known since the mid 80's, but are just now notifying people. Maybe hoping people pass away before being able to take action.
Anyway, the letter asked me to check in, and fill out a survey of any health issues I have. I have a bunch of issues, but nothing that is considered fatal. My daughter was born with a genetic condition, that neither I or my wife have, but I have no direct evidence that it was caused by contaminants. I suspect there could be a connection, and other people have said their children were genetically affected, but they have no scientific proof. They make it difficult because if you want your particular issue investigated, you have to make a legal claim, using lawyers etc.
I've spoken to a few people online, including Jerry Ensminger listed above, and have heard their stories. Truly heartbreaking. And unbelievable how the Marine Corp tried to hide this and keep it hush.
My grandmother died from liver disease and did not drink either and wasn't stationed at CL.
One does not necessarily = the other.
People get lung cancer that don't smoke.
This is an example of what can and does happen when our government can exempt themselves from environmental laws or anything else they enforce on industries and the public but are immune themselves from compliance...............National Security.........remember?
Kimbo,
I suggest you read details of this case, and look at what really happened and is happening, before you pass such quick judgment.
The man in the picture above has male breast cancer. So do many many males that served with him.
Congress as well as the American People are currently debating the National Debt, the Federal Budget, Taxes and the role of government in our lives. They wonder how we can continue paying for all these Budget items yet, they never consider the costs accrued by the Federal Governments own actions.
EXAMPLE:
Let us not forget the Federal obligations to our soldiers from Vietnam & the cancer-causing AGENT ORANGE cases which have been denied until recently, after most of those men suffered & died.
Last but not least, all the wounded who continue coming home from both the Afghanistan Invasion and the illegal Iraqi Invasion.
If those in Congress wish to talk about wasted spending, let us begin with how this government has treated it's Military personnel.
Will Paul Ryan slash & cut the VA Budget or propose a law forbidding compensation to victims of Agent Orange, the poisoning mentioned in this article in order to balance the budget?
Yes, Ryan and the rest of the Republicans, will do so -- why? because the veterans don't mean a #### to them once they've used you and you are no longer of any service to you....
Idiotic and blind partisanship such as what you display is killing this country. I got news for you sister, neither party cares for anything or anybody unless it functions to maintain incumbency.
This is an article about tragic and willful neglect of people at many different levels and ideologies. I was a Marine Corps dependent at Camp Lejeune during nearly all of the 60s, and I may fall victim to this poisoning. If I do, the last thing I am going to do is point my finger at somebody because of their political party.
It is your kind of blind loyalty more than anything else that contributes to people doing things they know is wrong. So many people, like you, have lost sight of the fact that what has made our Republic great is our diversity of political beliefs (the only diversity now widely untolerated and even scorned). We are supposed to think differently, and respect one another's right to it. The time to be afraid is when we Americans all start thinking the same. You have to break away from this or your disease is far worse than anything I may contract from polluted water.
Hey Abby, can you read? This had been KNOWN for 6 decades, 60 years, there have been BOTH Democratic and Republican Administrations during those years and NONE OF THEM DID ANYTHING. Government in this country is the problem, both parties are corrupt to a point of no return and as such it is time for a new party, a Constitutional Party that returns this country to the ideals that were the inspiration for the founding fathers, open government, accountability, a system of finance that is based on a monetary system that has an actual basis for the dollars value and not by a private bank calling itself "The Federal Reserve Bank" as if these thieves were a part of the Federal Government as they are no more "federal" than "Federal Express" but they have certainly pilfered the people of this country with the "fiction" that is that institutions means of stealing from the American people with absolutely no repercussion's or accountability, as if they were members of the Presidential Administration..... we need change if this country is to survive, if this doesn't happen I fear the Government, which is nothing more than employees of the corporations that raping the country and the planet. The same corporations that dump chemicals and spill oil, and pollute the air and water with no regard for the lives that will be affected, but are only concerned with the bottom line. These people must be removed from having ANY influence in Government or we are doomed.
This type of contamination has taken place all over the U.S. for decades. I've never seen our government advise people that they can seek compensation when they were exposed to the contaminated well water caused by solvents used in the aero-space industry.The Agent Orange exposure and the government's denial is the most reprehensible of all human exposure to chemicals.There is not enough money in the world that will ever take the place of a loved one who has suffered and eventually died from chemical exposure.
I had a friend whose job in the army was to load agent orange onto the planes in Nam. He lived about a year after discharge. Died of cancer. His 2 children died of cancer within 3 months of the fathers death. His wife was told that agent orange wasn't the cause of their deaths. She was still fighting the govt. when she died 2 months later. 4 dead swept under the mat. They wanted me to re-enlist; I told them to kiss my a$$.
I can't even find the words to express my disgust. Someone should be accountable for this, or more than just one. "We didn't know," isn't going to cut it. This is another example that a regular guy does something like this, they'd cut off his balls, and do some serious hard time. Someone should be held accountable for this.
They're probably dead by now.
Its government they only hold sheep responsible
Un-friggin' believable! Men & women served this country faithfully and the gov't KNEW these wells were contaminated, and not just for a couple of years but for 60 years and still they allowed the military AND their families to stay there. There's gotta be a special kind of hell for these federal officials!!!
Lisa,
"Men & women served this country faithfully and the gov't KNEW these wells were contaminated, and not just for a couple of years but for 60 years and still they allowed the military AND their families to stay there."
It kind of reminds me of all the soldiers who were deliberately exposed to radiation during the above ground nuclear tests they used to perform in Nevada in the 1950's. They wanted to test the effects of radiation on humans, and what better guinea pigs could they find than government property, i.e. soldiers? They had a captive audience there.
Did you know they wanted to blow up the moon
Mickey -
I believe that! I say let's use everyone from the President on down to see the effects of all their crap now!
Lisa,What's not to believe?Contamination has taken place by corporations for decades and even though they are fined most people never receive compensation.The fine money is used to clean up the polluted site.Sick people and their death is considered collateral damage.Our government has never looked out for the best interests of the American people.
I still question how much effect those early tests exposing the military personnel to radiation had on their reproductive systems. This is another area that is never talked about. But the incidence of death from cancer (at least in our area) is extremely high among those in their 50's and 60's. These are people who were born after those tests. Seems more than coincidental that we are seeing those deaths in that age range, not in the 70's or 40's. One can only wonder at this point what damage was passed on to the children of these fine men.
My father was in service, but I have little information about where he was and at what time. There were 11 children in our family. We had no previous record of cancer of any sort. Within the past 8-10 years, my oldest brother died at age 60, the following year my oldest sister died at age 63, and about 2 years later another sister was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 58. The two who died both did so within 8-9 months of diagnosis. I'm now in my 60's and just waiting ....
If only the government would take care of its heroes, let alone protect them from such atrocities to begin with.
Just Me, You said your father was in the service but you did not know where. If he was in the Army or Air Force than he was probably not at Camp Lejeune for any length of time. If he was in the Marines you need to find out what units he was with if you can. Anything in the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expiditionary Force, 2nd Force Service Support Group, or pretty much anything else with 2nd in its name except for aviation units would have been stationed at Lejeune. If he was in 1st or 3rd units than you should be fine. There are also several Navy units at Lejeune, but the only one I actually know about is the Naval Hospital. I know there are ways to find out about your father's service history, but sadly do not know what they are. If your county has a counyy veteran's department or if you have a local Veterans of Foreign Wars or Disabled American Veteransgroup you night be able to try there.
Hope this helps,
Gene Fleming
You don't have to have a "family history" of cancer to get cancer.
It just makes you higher risk.
There are people who get cancer all the time that have families with NO history and they weren't stationed at CL either.
Come on people...let's practice a little common sense here.
It will be years, and I mean YEARS before anyone sees any compensation of any type.
You have veterans wounded in the last war in Iraq and Afghanistan who still haven't received their compensation.
Hell it took my husband 12 years after retirement to get his from injuries in the Gulf War.
Be patient...you're going to need a lot of it (and I'm a retired disabled veteran myself).
Terrible. Everyone needs clean water.
Thing of the past keep fracking
Stop the fukin fraking and the tar sand pipeline.
Fracking...................Just wait when we find out what the price of cheap natural gas and oil will mean when you want a drink of water in 5-10 years.................Water will be more expensive than oil by then
Once again our Wonderful Government ignoring and denying anything was wrong. They don't care that people get cancers and die.
And they tell people smoking is bad for you
How can someone know this, and not do something to put a stop to it? The article says the governments known for years that the water was contaminated, yet they didn't do anything to stop people from being exposed. And how long have they known the ground water was being contaminated by this dry cleaning plant? And who was being paid off to keep it quiet?
Anyone crying about government interference because of the EPA or regulators, should be forced to drink this well water as punishment. Without watchdogs to protect the public from unethical evil people, you get situations like this. Saying you don't need government oversight, is like saying you don't need police.
What we need is oversight OF the government, not just BY the government.
IS it me or did they wait just long enough for the majority of the people effected to die from their ailments before releasing all this info! Totally obsurd! Not to mention you cannot put a price on a child who suffers and dies from cancer due to negligence and misinformation given to the families! Lawsuits are going to happen but no amount of money can replace what they have lost or will lose!
No you got your timeline correct..............strange isn't it since this was known for a good long while after the contaminants were shown to be cancer causing agents........
My now deceased husband was stationed at the base during that time and he also died of bladder cancer due to the tainted water, he didn't deserve this, he was only 44 and now his two small children are left without a father and they also have problems now regarding the gene that he carried... My heart hurts every single nite that he isn't here to say prayers or tell them good-night or I love you... But I am dam proud that he served in the Marines and now my oldest is at the same base, I hope and pray that the water is safe and that I don't have to bury another Marine, That would be the end to my heart... Why did it take so long to fix.... Explain that to my kids....
No one cares like the military and their families ... no one....
God bless your family for their service. from someone whose nephew is 4th generation serving in time of war, 3rd generation professional military
Semper Fi!
Much respect to those who serve, but the dependents serve(d) also. But is is so sad that these people served our country and died not at the enemies hand, but our very government. And those precious dependents, following their sponsor around the country and world only to be poisoned because of governmental negligence and apathy.
So sad! NOT what they, or anyone, deserves.
So mad! This went on so long!
As a Retired Military man who was stationed at Camp Lejeune during this time frame, I applaud NBC for staying on this story. As one can see by the number of comments it does not receive much attention.
If NBC does not stay on this story it will die or be burried along with the Marines who await some conclusion.
Thank you NBC.
Thank you President Obama for taking the first steps/
you really need to thank sen. kay hagen and sen. richard burr without them this would have been forgotten long before obama got involved.i just wish our elected reps could work together more often like that, maybe the u.s. would not in such dire straits.
President Obama? President Obama? He doesn't give a rat's ass about this. I would be willing to bet he doesn't even know about it. Too busy raising money for himself.
Shocking to who? Most military installations around the world are candidates for Superfund cleanup. Most with aircraft facilities have leaky fuel tanks and years of runoff from solvents. Even old Nike missile batteries, unused for decades. And in case the writer missed it, Lejuene is STILL an active base....and still contaminating.
Um, well - given that our government regularly arms terrorists who use the weaponry on our troops that have to fight them a few years later in these perpetual wars, I'm really not all that surprised. YOU?????
NOTHING that goes on in this Country shocks me anymore. NOTHING.
People do what's important to them to do. NO one did anything about this. It wasn't important to the powers that be. The people who were injured - collateral damage!
How about a new life
...Nobody loves the Marine Corps more than I do... but I am ashamed that the Corps trotted out this "spin doctor" to "pooh-pooh" the immense damage. Agent Orange taught the government nothing... except to deny, deny, deny... study, study, study... wait for the victims to die before doing anything about it... Same with Gulf War Syndrome (many in government deny that it even exists... they should try spending weeks breathing in hydrocarbons in a burning oil field...) and now this.
...When Al Gray became Commandant of the Marine Corps, the first thing that he did was to re-instate combat training for all regardless of MOS... and decree that 50% of all training would be at night... He also instituted a reading list.
...The current Commandant's first action was to order combat uniform sleeves rolled down. This doesn't mean that he is a bad officer... but in a time of deep cuts, something more inspiring would have been in order.
The Marine Corps may soon have as many lawyers and spin doctors as it does platoon commanders...
I did my time @ Camp Lejeune starting in 72 thru 1976 then shuffledbetween New River & Cherry Point, HQMC and deployments, until 1998...
This contaminated water @ Camp Lejeune, was KNOW then. Supposedly due to the Base Dry Cleaners & a growing list of on-site rebuild facilities, dumping their solvents. We & or families drank bottled water, even then...
Cherry Point had its leaking fuel tanks and a 10'+deep pool of aircraft fuels on top of their aquifer. The local people could pump this fuel out and then use it in their diesel vehicles and heaters. During the 1980s the US Government started paying a contractor to recover this fuel, supposedly @ $2+USD for every gallon...
The swimming/water contact @ Slocum Creek, a base recreation area, was restricted due to the NADAP chemical releases, during the last 60+years...
BTY- They are still recovering this fuel @ Cherry Point, using 15+recovery units and MCAS/NADEP has been a Super Fund Site according to NSCEP for DECADES...
General Al Grey was OK and he did much to prepare the USMC for the current Ops TEMPO and the lack of a defined front line. General Gray championed new technologies and platforms such as Unmaned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the LCAC, and the Osprey that supported the new doctrine and are common place in today's Marine Corps. But it was also during his time that Funding restricted the pistol/rifle re-qualification requirements...
The current Commandant addressed a problem (rolled sleeves) and fixed it. Show me a tropical or Middle East native that has their sleeves rolled. An environment with high UV & possible NBC/IED exposure, requires your body to be COVERED for many health/safety reasons...
BTY - I live in Thailand and long sleeves with loose clothing is much COOLER. Even with body armor...
Also - NONE of my children or wives, nor myself have any medical issues from this exposure. Including Iraq - The second wife a Medical Bio Tech has pointed @ the Diet Soda that was exposed to over 110 degree F temperatures & the resulting formation of FORMALDEHYDE'S...
Opps make that over 104 degrees...
Diet Coke testing resulting in:
A 50% DECREASE in the atrificial sweetiner to 0.026%, a 0.010 percent DKP (1,000% INCREASE) and 76.2 parts per billion of formaldehyde (150% INCREASE).
The symptoms of aspartame are a lot like the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Ever since aspartame was approved in l985, there has been an increase in brain tumors. There is no direct proof that aspartame caused the brain tumors, but there is enough reason to suspect that, and the television show, "60 Minutes" did a report linking the increase in brain cancer to aspartame use.
The FDA reviewed Searle's studies of this artificial sweetener in which rats were fed aspartame daily with their meals for one year. There were 12 brain tumors in the 320 rats that were fed aspartame and no brain tumors in the 120 rats that were not fed aspartame.
There was also a study done at the University of Wisconsin on rhesus monkeys. they were fed aspartame daily. After day 200 of a one year study the monkeys developed epileptic seizures. After the study ended, the aspartame was discontinued and the monkeys were fully watched for 60 days. The monkeys had no more seizures.
Currently the leading cause of DEATH in China is enviromental induced CANCERS...
IMO - Know what you put into your body and try to minimize its exposure to enviromental hazards.
Those that pollute the environment should be held ACCOUNTABLE!!!
That's why I only drink high filtered water and whiskey.
The Marine Corps should be taking a good, hard look at itself. The "chain of command" concept is really an strong invitation to dishonesty, corruption and sexual predation. Modern, learning organizations are bottom-up driven. Military culture allows for disastrous decisions to be made by higher-ups, with no accountability. The organizational thinking is bayonets and horses. Who is going to have the guts and smarts to devolve power and decision-making?
"Under a law signed Aug. 6, 2012 , veterans and family members who served on active duty or resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between Jan. 1, 1957 and Dec. 31, 1987 may be eligible for medical care through VA for 15 health conditions,” the site reads."
What about the service members that were at Camp LeJeune before Jan 1, 1957? Why are they not eligible? Guess the government thinks or hopes they have all died by now! Well I have a father very much alive who is a breast cancer survivor(full mastectomy) and a proud Marine Veteran. You can damn well bet our family will be looking into this. When they put their lives on the line, I guarantee you, they didn't know their greatest fear would be from their own government! How sad!
I agree with you on questioning the qualifying dates, they make no sense. My dad got called back in 50 / 51, stationed at base and died riddled with cancer in 1984. Sis was born at the base, has lupus, had breast cancer. I wasn't born there and am healthy as a horse....... coincidence ? Thank your dad for his service.
It will be YEARS before anyone gets anything...the VA system moves very slowly and they currently have more than 1 million claims backlog.
Get ready to wait and wait and wait and wait.
PRIORITY goes to those now getting out of the service. Their claims are fast-tracked and everyone else waits and waits and waits.
Its a disgrace the way we treat our service members and their families like so much cannon fodder.
And we ask these warriors to fight and die for us and we do this. AND that have known about this for years and lied about as the water kept flowing.
a disgrace.......................................................................
don't worry! they can all get excellent treatment at the VA... and it's free!
Tim...please come over here...SO I CAN SMACK YOU UPSIDE THE HEAD WITH A SHOVEL!!!!
*rolling eyes*
DSP - CAPT/USNR
i currently get my healthcare at the v.a. and to be honest it is real good . and i venture to say it is just as good as the care i recieved from from anyone.please don't bash the v.a. for what the dept of the navy or marine corps did .i read a book recently by gunny popaditch if you or anyone wants to know what kind of b.s. the military is running concerning treatment of vets i recommend his book.
...I am happy that your VA experience has been good. Where I live they treat you with respect... But friends of mine from around the country have a long list of horror stories... ranging from endless waiting and delays to being treated like dirt.
...Upon my return from RVN and honorable discharge I went to college on the GI Bill. The Seattle VA office stopped cutting me checks because they said that I was not in school. The college kept sending them transcripts... ultimately return receipt requested... and the VA refused to budge... Went on for a couple of months... When college called, they were told to send somebody to VA... of course the college refused to be bullied...
...Neighbor of ours headed Seattle American Legion, contacted U.S. Senator who happened to be very powerful re defense matters. The next daychecks cut.
...Not all offices bad... and some bad ones are only so because of a few key employees... But veterans in need of medical care are an extremely vulnerable population... Those of us with good facilities should treasure them...
Don't knock the VA. I've gotten better treatment there than I ever got in a civilian hospital. The only problem the VA has is too much work, caused buy all the government screw ups.
I also have never had any problems with the VA.
And I also use my GI Bill and have never had a problem in more than a year I've been in school.
I find that people who are having a problem with the GI Bill it is usually the problem of the school not sending the right information and/or certifying the paperwork, not the VA.
My heart just aches for all of these people. Most people stationed at military bases are young and just starting their families. I can't imagine mixing formula for all the babies born there using this tainted water. My husband is retired Navy (enlisted), and we would gladly give up a retirement check or 2 (and I imagine a lot of other military would join in) IF, and a big IF, someone could successfully manage it, and that sure as hell isn't the gov't.
The government will squash this faster than the fracking contamination issue.
"people who lived at the base during the affected times can seek compensation and medical care from the federal government."....Riiiight. Good luck "proving" where your illness originated from. Most likely the government will require you too see one of their own doctors, and soon after the doctor's "findings" will read that there's no evidence found to link the person's disease to the contaminated water.
Does anyone know how an MCL is determined?
I think it is based on a person drinking 8 glasses of water over a lifetime ,
I may be wrong??
An MCL generally is based on ingesting 2 liters of water per day for 70 years. Some MCLs are adjusted upward based on other factors, such as feasibility of treatment and, if I recall correctly, even economic considerations.
As a Navy Corpsman stationed at Camp Lejeune from Aug 1969 until Feb 1972, I was very proud to be apart of the USMC. But is many years later after loosing a wife to breast cancer in 1997, myself being diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney in 2005 and loosing a kidney and having a son born there in 1971 and now has heart disease this is troubling. All the comments I have read here tonight are valid. Most have shown all the emotions that should be seen with a story like this. ANGER should be the biggest emotion expressed. Many have paid a high price for this act of injustace on our service people and their familes. Too many have paid the ultimate price and are not here to express their ANGER, so that fall on all of us. I hope that the news media keeps the pressure on. I hope that our congressional leaders that care about this keep fighting for us. Most of all I hope us survivers can live long enough to see justice.
Doc Croghan
Doc Crogan, Thank you for your service. You Corpsmen sometimes never get the honor that you deserve. I know a few fellow Marines that without you guys would not be here and they are very greatful. I hope you can get some satisfaction from the Gov. on this. Things are bad enough as is. Thanks again. Semper Fi!
I had a very dear friend who was a Drill Instructor for a number of years. I and his family watched as he suffered from one affliction after another. When we worked together he was insane about the handling of chemicals. Could not figure out why he was so strict.
Years later he told me stories about chemical disposal at Lejune. He spoke of tractor trailers full of drums would be driven to the tarmac. How the marines would offload them and open the bungs and let them empty and evaporate in the sun. He's dead now. Never got to enjoy his retirement.
I lived there, in base housing, at Terrawa Terrace I from 1963 to 1965 as an very small boy. I again lived there from 1967 to 1971, in the same base housing complex. I do not suffer from the ailments of these other poor souls do, but if the military is proven to have known about this contamination from my years living there, I want to be in this lawsuit. I was at risk. I'm still relatively young (53), but I do suffer from some ailments that I just contributed from being middle aged. Some of my siblings do not. I don't know. Just the fact that I drank the water DAILY, and bathed in it DAILY for almost seven years makes me believe I'm owed something for this if it's proved that the government knew about this. What do you all think?
Hi Ray, I was at TT1 twice...from 1960 to 1962 and from 1966 to 1970. We may have gone to school together! Did you go to Brewster for Jr. High? I have thousands of great memories there, lots of fun, especially football. Too bad we were being poisoned!
Ray, I looked into this, since I was there as well, though in the early 80's. In order to join in, they first have you fill out a survey of medical facts, along with medical records, then you have to make a legal claim stating that you believe your conditions were caused by the water.
In other words, they don't make it easy. Like you, I have odd ailments, but how am I supposed to so decisively prove that it was the water?
Okay, you're not sick, but you want to take a dip in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
Good luck--this is what's wrong with America.