Poisoned Patriots?

I am so glad you are doing this story. I think there are so many people who lived on the base and have been affected by the water. As someone who lived on the base, I wonder if there is some type of a blood test that could be given to us to detect toxins in our bodies today. I do not think their current historical water studies have really been helpful in getting the proper care to those who were affected by the water. I think only those with really rare conditions are going to get any help at all.

What about the rest of us?

My husband was born at and lived aboard MCB LeJeune. He grew up to be a Marine and was stationed there. He also worked with the PCE, TCE and Benzene (and other chemicals) at Camp LeJeune. He lived at Tarrawa Terrace and Hadnot Point, where there was contamination for years. He was born in 1957 after the plume. He died in 2004 at the age of 47 with the strongest case of Prostate Cancer that his doctors have ever seen. His PSA score should have bee 0-2, it was 1500+ which is off the charts. His agressive case of Cancer was not recognized as a service connected illness. He received no benefits, and I have not even been able to bury him in a National Cemetery. My husband's father died early of Leukemia. He was a Lt. Col. and none of this has been recognized by the Marines or the V.A. The Marine Corps knew of the contamination, they covered it up for years and denied it. The Corps could have saved my husband's life, and did not. They deny that these Carcinogens caused his cancer, yet what is the definition of Carcinogens? The NRC reports are scewed. The lies and misquotes are reprehensible. Thank you Campbell Brown for allowing more people to find out about the story. Thank you CNN for airing your broadcasts. Maybe the proposed legislation can make a difference to some of the people afflicted, and maybe I will be allowed to bury my husband's ashes.

My dad and my grandpa both died young of diferent kinds of Cancer. I miss them very much. I am so proud of their service, but ashamed of the Corps. They could have let them know the water was toxic. They could have paid for medical care, but they were afraid it would cost too much. How much was my father's life worth? $0.00 to the Corps. My dad and grandpa were so proud to have served, I am happy they did not know what really killed them, it would have made them feel horrible to know they were so deceived by the Marine Corps.

My dad died a horrible death. Much the same as a wounded vet. The Marine Corps is to blame, and killed them both, not some terrorist, the Marine Corps. This happened. It is not right that they have used the un-truths to deny benefits to sick and dying, and survivors. The NRC reports is filled with un-truths. I hope they never know the suffering my family has known, and that they never have to struggle just to survive like we have after we lost my dad. My family has been devistated! I hope Mr. Obama hears about this and does something about it. I have faith in him to make this right. I voted for the first time in my life for him, and I am going to keep my faith in him to do something for my family and others like us.

They could have saved my dad. They knew about the chemicals. They knew he drank the water. They knew he was dying. They did nothing. They have to answer to us.

If you are looking for additional information on the Camp Lejeune water contamination, please visit the website of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten. TFTPTF was formed by 2 Marines (Jeff Byron & Jerry Ensminger) whose families were adversely affected by the contamination. On TFTPTF's site you will find a historical documents library, illness registry, photo gallery and discussion board.

My father was a Proud Marine. He lived at Tarrawa Terrace and was a in Utero there. He grew up and followed in his father's footsteps and was stationed there himself.

My father was a wonderful person. He and mom were married 22 years and I never heard them fight. He did the best he could, and was a hard worker. He was a perfect dad. He loved so deeply.

Dad died of Prostate Cancer and had a very rare case. He was so young to die. I miss him. The Marine Corps murdered him. How could they keep this from him? How could they know about this and do nothing to help him and even lie to him?

I will not rest until we can get my mom some help and make the V.A. help her. The V.A. is not helping her at all. I hope this report will do some good. I can only hope.

Thank you Campbell, for airing this story.

It is not only the Marines who were poisoned. It was their families too. My brother was stationed at the camp during that time period with his wife and his daughter was born near there. All three surcumbed to aggressive cancers. My brother was 29, his daughter was 32 (months after the birth of her second child).

We worry about the my neices children. Was there genetic damage done by the chemicals in the water? Is another generation at risk because of this chemical polution of the water?

We have tried to get answers for years but it keeps dropping from the radar. Thank you for putting the light back on this issue.

Karen, You are definitely right. They say up to 1 million Marines, dependents, Naval personnel and civilians could have been exposed in the 30 years the water was contaminated.

Many of the chemicals present in the Lejeune water are known to be mutanagenic, meaning they can mutate DNA. They say these affects can pass on for up to 3 generations. I've seen it in my family already. My sister had a chromosome deletion and birth defects, and now her son, my nephew, is having the same issues now.

I also am one of the poisoned. I was diagnosed with terminal Mantle Cell Lymphoma in 2004. About 7 months ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and last month I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I have been hospitalized twice in the last three weeks. Today my doctors told me that I have only have a few weeks at best. I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from January 1966 until 1968. I was on main side with 3rdBn 10thMarines.

I am glad that this story is being told nationally and broadcasted on CNN. Someone needs to acknowledge that these men were in fact poisoned while stationed at Camp Lejeune. My brother served as a marine between 1983 and early 1990, he was stationed at Camp LeJune. A few years after his discharge he was diagnosed with Leukemia. We were baffled as to how he could have "suddenly" develop this. After years of battling, he died March of this year. I am angry at how no one is being held accountable for so many lives that are being affected.

PLEASE, keep going. You only scratched the surface. Lived in Tarawa Terrace (Suribachi Place) from Nov. 1969 thru Feb or March of 1971. Both children born with congenital problems but because I didn't abort or they don't have cancer no-one wants to listen. We were at Ground Zero with the dry cleaning poisoning.

We would love to help these people and any financial problems they have as a result of this horrible story.
How can we help?
Dennis Jones

I am a retired Marine Master Sergeant. During during late 1967, I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and lived in base housing. After returning from Viet Nam, I was stationed in San Diego when one night I lost part of my vision in my right eye. I was told that this was brought on by exposure to water infected by bats or other animals. Over the years, I have been concerned about where this may have come from. I was born and raised in New York City and was not exposed to anything that may have been the trigger to this disease. To this day I am still partially blind and have been diagnosed with Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome. I am convinced that my service in Camp Lejeune is the main cause. I mentioned my concerns to my doctor at the VA but she made no attempt to follow up with that. HELP!

I'm glad to hear the Vet story. I am a USAF vet with cancer, prostate cancer I believe contracted from working on fighter airplanes in Thailand during Viet Nam era. Those plane flew low level bombing missions in Agent Orange infested Viet Nam. VA says I had to have set foot in Viet Nam only one day to automatically receive the benefit. I wasn't in VN, but received the VN Theater ribbon from the USAF. No one in my family tree had prostate cancer,,,,brothers, father, uncles or grandfathers. Are you aware of sources to help my plea. I'm currently going thru the DAV office for help.

My husband was at Camp Lejeune in 1987, he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (a fairly rare 3:100,000 deadly brain cancer).
He is only 41 years old, the average 5 year survival rate is only 5%!
He was also in Desert Storm/Shield 1990- 91 with 3rd Tank, 7th Marines,Task Force Ripper. So far the VA is denying a claim...
Thank you to all who have worked so hard to get national coverage.

I too was stationed at Camp Lejuene in 1985-1986. I was discharged with a GOS under OTH conditions . So , I have no medical benefits. I had health insurance until I lost my job( of 10yrs ,laid Off) and benefits . To make a long story short . I have been battling a mysterious illness now for about 8yrs and have developed lumps in my right breast. When I was insured , I went from one specialist to another and you guest it , no answers. I got the letter from The Marine Corps about the water. HHHHMMM who would have thought

Yes in the time I served there we always complained about the taste of the water... Although I dont have what the 22 of these gentleman have. I feel the multitudes of Illness's I have are due to the fact I had been exposed to the base contaminates....

Thank you CNN for putting this story out, and thank you Dennis Jones for offering too help I am a retired Marine Master Sergeant who was stationed there in 1969, 1871, 1975. We need the help of the American people and the Media too put pressure the Government too take action on this. Without the help of the American people and the Media, we will just be written off by the Government. Please take a moment and contact your representatives and let them know you want action on this. We protected you, here's your chance to protect us. Thanks for your time.

I'm so glad that someone is finally doing a story on our service men who, in my opinion, have been guinea pigs for our governments experiments. My husband was not at Camp Lejeune but was part of the troops given the vaccine cocktail for Desert Storm. He has suffered from undiagnosable neuromuscular problems for the past 6 years. We have been to Walter Reed, VA, Vanderbilt and the Cleveland Clinic and no-one has ever seen anything like it. Thanks Uncle Sam – he gave you 21 years of service and you have given him 6 years of misery (so far) not to mention what this does to families!!!

I think the research of the contaminated water needs to be a throughly checked. I was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina back in the 80's, worked on Camp Lejeune and comsumed the water. Yes indeed I was diagnosised with Melanoma ( skin cancer ) in 2007 that runs in the family. Now should I jump on this band wagon too? No, I will not because y'all don't have all the information about what really happened with the water there. If the water is so bad, why don't each state have the same type of testing standards that Camp Lejeune has for the water? You can't point fingers until all the facts point towards the answer of the problem. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Male breast cancer is the rarest cancer but not the only cancer. I was a Women Marine. I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1967-1970.
I am a breast cancer survivor. There is no history of breast cancer in my family. It took 30 years for the government to admit agent orange caused cancer. We can't wait another 30 years before the Marine Corps admits the water contamination caused our cancers. The servicemen who have cancer because of agent orange don't have prove their cancer was caused by exposure to a carcinogens so why should we. I am proud of my service to my country but very disappointed in how the Marine Corps has handled the contamination issue.

Anyone who is looking for assistance, if you have not already found our site, please google The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten (or TFTPTF). (It won't approve my post if I put the actual website address.) We will help out however we can or can at least point you in the right direction.

Please visit http://www.watersurvivors.com for information regarding the Camp Lejeune water contamination. We have over 2000 members on our site. Please visit the Victims Registry to see the numerous illnesses.

Dennis Jones, on behalf of my family and my brother and Ex-Marine, Keith McGoy (1964-2009), we thank you for your heartfelt offer to "help". What is really needed in this matter is the continued exposure of what has happened and is continuing to happen to men, women and their families who lived and was exposed to this contamination at Camp Lejeune. The number of people affect by this contamination is outstanding!!! This isn't some fluk or sheer coincidence. All of these people affected lived at Camp Lejeune!!! We need to keep screaming about this until the right people begin to listen and not sweep this thing under the rug. So in your offer to help, please continue to scream with us until we are heard! Make sure you tune in to Part 2 of this report. THANK YOU CNN.

I'm glad I was born early there (1958), all I had was to be born with a cleft lip, as an adult I barley have any teeth because the chemicals make it tough for enamel to remain on the the tooth. Glad I have to be nervous about getting checked for male breast cancer for the rest of my life.

My father the Marine took the oath to give his life for his country, I wasn't born to be able make that decision, so many other children have it much worse especially being born later.

So glad you are doing this story CNN. And thank you Andrea for bringing us together. We found the money to bail out Love Canal, AIG and the auto industry. I feel the government has turned their back on the true patriots.

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1974 to 1976. Unlike most I started to have problems while on the base. I started to have neurological and behaviorial problems. I believed at first I was sterile, had 2 sons, the first was still born and the 2nd who is 13 years old was born mentally delayed with other medical problems. I am on SSD due to a growing list of illnesses that have my doctors puzzled – amaurosis fugax , Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency, neurocardiogenic , syncope, Diabetes Type II, Migraines, Hypertension, GERD, Severe Obstructive Sleep Apena, Hypopnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, arthritis
Carpal Tunnel, Thyroid Disease, Reproductive Issues, Autonomic polyneurpathy, Hiatal Hernia. With me everyday is a struggle, my wife stay up most nights to keep me breathing even with a CPAP, during the day I am dealing with near-syncope, migraines, and a host of other problems all because I drank, bathe, swimmed, and played in the water at Camp Lejeune!!

18 months after being honorably discharged from the Corps, was hospitalized with type 1 diabetes, no history of diabetes in family, 30 years after being at camp lejeune doctors at va tell me I have a rare liver disorder that caused me to be diabetic however when I went to file a claim the va has done an about face and do not even want to discuss any of it....

Glad you are doing the story. My husband is about to undergo his second procedure for kidney cancer and was exposed to the contamination.

I also was in the affected area for around a year in all in the late 50's & early 60's . I developed some kind of nervous condition while there . I'm now on meds. through the VA and will have to continue them for life . The Marine Corps League post I belong to lost a member several years ago to Cancer . He was also stationed in the affected area during the period mentioned . I wounder how many of us died with the various illnesses and are not on your list of statistics . I only HOPE the Govt . does not do the same thing that they have done with the Atomic Vets or the Agent Orange victims .

My husband was stationed with 5/10 from July 1984-Jul 1985. He worked at Hospital Point and drank coffee all day, 6-7 days a week for a year. He came down with Hodgkin's Disease in 1988 and again in 1990. My healthy Marine was no longer healthy. He died at age 51 last May 1, 2008 from complications of pulmonary hypertension that resulted from the massive dosages of radiation he received for the treatment of his second bout with Hodgkins.

He didn't have to die and leave me and our two children after being together for 37 of our 51 years on earth.

I was in the marines for 10 years.I trained in Camp Lejuene,also my last duty station was that base.I left the corp in 1978.I live in this base closed to the beach,I would like to know how can I find more information about this.I didnt know anything about it.Thanks,

I have gone thru surgey and yearly checkups waiting to be told my Kidney Cancer returned. Try living like this year after year. When is the goverment going to help me prepare to help my family. Hey "Obama" where are you when your country's warriors need help..

the V.A. & the Marine Corp.needs to stand up for what it knew was there and to take care of our troops.These men fight for us.they deserve 100% Medical care .regardless.What is this,camp Lejune /love canal all over again.How about no medical care for our boys;no soldiers for your war games

Why should we take care of the marines? We need the money to take care of the rest of the world. We have to win the hearts of the Afghanis who hate us and would knife us in a N.Y. minute. Who are the Marines? They are just the ones–the green kids who believed the crap they were fed. They are just the ones who bled and died for us. But let's face it. It is much more important to take care of our sworn enemies. Don't you love our government.

Anyone interested who doesn't already know about The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten for the Camp Lejeune victims go to tftptf.com

Welcome to the real world guys. Most governments are the same they want you or you are forced into the service , go to some godforsaken place to kill or be killed" FOR WHAT", then when you get sick from chemicals or poison they deny any help or involvement and the poor slobs are left on their own.[like these guys] When are the people going to wake up to the reality. This has been going on since the dawn of time and not only in the USA.

Our family lived at Hospital Point for 6 years, 1976-1982 and we all drank that water during that time. I have had surgery for breast cancer and our daughter for ovarian cancer. Mysterious conditions affect other members of the family.
Thank you so much for bringing this story to the public's attention.

I cannot believe anyone would question this. You put known carcinogens in water, people drink it, bathe in it, etc and get cancer. How can you question the origin of the cancer?? These are people who have no known history of cancer of any kind, nothing in the families, no genetic predisposition and yet here they all are.

In the story they said that approximately 1900 men a year nationwide are diagnosed with male breast cancer. They said that most all of those men were in their 70's when diagnosed. Yet here are 27 now who were all diagnosed in their 30's and 40's who's only commonality was that they were all at Camp LeJeune during the period of the highest levels of contamination. What was it they said in the story, 240% higher contamination? How do we not see a pattern?

How can that Lt Colonel sit there, saying things like "horrible tragedy" and expect the public to believe his false sympathy when its all so batantly clear? Its not his fault of course, he's just the lackey the Commandant sent over there to spew out what the Marine spin doctors put together for him to say... He said the testing at the time wasn't what it is now in the 21st century. You do not have to run things thru a masspectrometer to know that dumping toxic chemicals in water being consumed by humans is going to be a hazzard. I'm sure the concensus among the Marine's top brass is "these guys just need to suck it up"... The message from the Lt Colonel and the Marine corps tonight was basically that they're not going to do a damn thing.

It should make us all furious. It just shows what Mr Ensinger said tonight, they teach Semper Fi (always faithful), They teach that the Marines 'take care of their own" and then when they really need it they find its a horrific lie.

The focus of the story was male breast cancer, but as I read these comments its so much more than that. Its rare forms of prostate cancer, its kidney, & liver cancer, its lymphoma, and lung cancer. Its children who were born there dying young from cancer. Its even neurological problems, Immune system failures, thyroid, and pituitary issues, its every damn thing that can happen to a human body when something this toxic is introduced to it.

These men are victims. The Marines who served at Camp LeJeune and their familes are victims. They're not asking for some million dollar settlement although they should be entitled to it. They're asking for the benefits that they deserve. Medical treatment, disability for the ones who are the worst off, and survivor benefits for those left behind. If the government can bail out the crooks at AIG why can't the money be found for this type of bail out? The people deserve it. This is a national symbol of a failure to exercise a sense of concern for future generations. Yes Lt Colonel Mouthpiece, it is a tragedy, I just pray something changes for these people before its too late.

Although there is a muliti-million dollar class-action lawsuit against the Military for the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The lawsuit is only for civilians. Miitary and former military are prohibited from persuing lidigation aganst the government for problems caused by the military whlie they were on active duty. The only recourse for those who have served is the VA. I hope to see more coverage from major news souces. Good job CNN

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from October 1968 through March 1970. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in June 2007. At the time of my diagnosis I had no idea how I contracted the cancer. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is not contracted from other people nor is it an inheritable disease. It is caused by being exposed to chemicals like TCE, PCE, benzene, and PCB’s. At the time, I had no idea I had ever been exposed to these chemicals.

Ironically, in June 2007, I saw a story on CNN.com about the water contamination at Camp Lejeune and a Marine who contracted lymphoma. The Marine in the story believed his lymphoma was caused by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune.

Since then, I learned that El Toro Marine Air Base in California also had similar water contamination problems. I was also stationed at El Toro from March 1969 through June 1970. Of my 24 months in the Marine Corps, 21 of them were spent at bases with contaminated water containing solvents that are known to cause various cancers, including Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

I am currently receiving chemotherapy treatments from the VA medical center and have been told that my cancer is terminal. According to my oncologists, I may only have a few years to live. So far, the VA and Marine Corps have refused to make my cancer service-related. Therefore my treatments at the VA are not free (I pay for them), and I am not entitled to any disability benefits. Since being on chemo therapy, I have not been able to work at my regular occupation and I have missed a great deal of work due to my illness and treatments.

I appreciate CNN carrying this story and I hope it will enable those Marines who have been affected by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune and other military bases to win their cases.

Other veterans have fought similar cases with the VA and military….and won. After many years of legal battles, Vietnam veterans who were affected by agent orange herbicides were finally allowed to receive medical treatments and disability benefits from the VA. Many of those veterans died from the affects of agent orange before the benefits were approved.

The evidence of water contamination at Camp Lejeune and El Toro is overwhelming. It has also been proven the contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune (and El Toro) are ‘known’ to cause various types of cancer. No one disputes these facts. Both Camp Lejeune and El Toro are currently on the EPA’s superfund cleanup list. What is disputed is whether the Marines health problems can be ‘directly’ related to the water contamination. We don’t, and will probably never, have the technology to ‘prove’ this. These types of cases are resolved by strong circumstantial and ‘presumptive’ evidence. We convict people in court every day on less ‘circumstantial’ evidence than what has already been shown in the Camp Lejeune case…just ask Scott Peterson.

Rather than defend against these claims, the Marine Corps should stand ‘with’ these Marines who served at Camp Lejeune. It breaks my heart to see the Corps fight against their very own. These Marines are some of our country’s finest and they do not deserve to be abandoned in their time of greatest need. Marines do not abandon one another in combat and we should do likewise in civilian life.

I would like to add my name to the list that have had Brest cancer, I was at Camp Lajuene 1969-1970

How many of these Marines were stationed at the Marine Corps Finance Center in the Bannister Federal Complex, Kansas City? A known toxic dump site of beryllium, radiation waste and PCBs.

Here is a published article on the subject.
– Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Federal Facilities Section, Department of Defense Sites that are currently under the Department of Energy Remedial Action program. The article states; “ Kansas City (Bannister) Federal Complex houses several governmental agencies….. A Department of Defense landfill was established in 1942 on a portion of the area, as a disposal site for the Bannister Federal Complex. From 1942 to 1964, when the landfill was closed, several government contractors disposed waste into the landfill. The soil and groundwater underlying the site is contaminated with solvents, metals and petroleum contaminants.
– KC Star artilce date July 8, 2009: The plant is polluted with cancer-causing materials such as petroleum products, beryllium, radiation waste and PCBs. It could eventually cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the site. Over the years, the pollution has seeped into groundwater and has washed into the Blue River and Indian Creek. It is under constant monitoring to keep the pollution from migrating.
I have compiled a list of 110 former coworkers who have/had cancer – more than half of them have died. A another died this week...what about this Marine Corps site?

Like all service people in the armed forces the government ownes them and can do whatever they want with them. All quinea pigs with no recourse.

https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/

Some of these comments are heartbreaking, but I have to wonder with all of the chemicals, toxins, lifestyle, and environmental situations in our country the previous thirty or forty years; how can any one be so convinced that exposure to some water for a day, month, year, or years, results in such devastating illnesses? What about the food we eat? What about the public drinking water in all of the places these folks were exposed to in the years to follow?

I have another piece for all. The Water Treatment Plant Operators for TT died of cancer also. So what are the chances that 5 men working at the same place for several years all die of cancer? The circumstances that have come to light give the appearance of collusion to defraud by the peolpe in charge at the base. (I'snt that Reco)? Also, how about Conduct Unbecomming a Marine, and "Marines Take Care of Their Own".

I am very concerned as to what is happening now at Camp LeJeune.
Is there ongoing investigation?
Is the water being tested now?
I understand that this particular contaminent will never go away, PCB, PCE's.
There are thousands of young men and women that have been there and are currently there. What tests exactly were conducted on this water to date and are they testing others who could be contaminated and may have some sort of cancer caused by this chemical infested waters. Shouldn't the people on base be aware of this and not drink the water, some kind of warning? THIS IS OUTGRAGOUS.