Camp Lejeune wasn’t a distant headline; it was a home, a life unknowingly built on poisoned ground. For decades, Marines, their families, and civilians lived and thrived there, unaware that the very water sustaining them was silently inflicting devastating harm.
In 1959, my father, a Marine, brought our family to the base. Years later, I married a Marine stationed there, and spent 25 years working on base myself. It was a community, a place of belonging – a cruel irony considering the invisible threat lurking beneath the surface.
The Camp Lejeune water contamination stands as one of the most egregious failures of government responsibility in American history. From 1953 to 1987, over a million people were exposed to toxic chemicals in the water supply. Families drank, cooked, and bathed in it, day after day, year after year.
Scientists detected the contamination as early as 1980, yet warnings were suppressed, and action was delayed. It wasn’t until 1999 – nearly two decades later – that former residents were finally notified. But by then, the damage was irreversible.
My personal battle began in 1978 with a leukemia diagnosis. I fought and survived, but the shadow of Lejeune followed me. My daughter was born with a spinal tumor, then diagnosed with bladder cancer. She passed away at just 32 years old, after a brief remission.
The cancers continued to come – cervical, colon, breast. A liver transplant in 2024 finally brought a period of remission, but the years were marked by relentless illness and heartbreaking loss. My father succumbed to Parkinson’s, a condition linked to the toxins, and my husband lost his life to lung cancer and melanoma.
My story isn’t unique. Thousands who lived and served at Camp Lejeune have suffered similar fates, many dying while waiting for acknowledgment, let alone justice. For years, even basic medical care was denied, despite my family’s deep connection to the base and the Marine Corps.
A glimmer of hope arrived in 2012 when Congress allowed veterans and their families access to VA care. But for many, it was tragically too late. Then, in 2022, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act offered a path to legal recourse, a chance to hold the government accountable.
Three years later, that promise remains largely unfulfilled. Over 400,000 claims have been filed, yet fewer than 900 have been resolved. The very government that poisoned its people is now creating new obstacles, delaying settlements, and failing to deliver on its commitment.
This isn’t simply a legal issue; it’s a profound moral failing. Many Lejeune veterans are elderly, ill, or already gone. While no amount of money can replace lost loved ones, fair settlements can alleviate financial burdens and offer a measure of closure.
Congress recognized the government’s negligence and the suffering it caused. They understood that compensation and accountability were owed. Now, the administration must direct the Department of Justice to act swiftly, review cases fairly, and offer just settlements.
The government repeatedly failed us – ignoring warnings, concealing information, denying care, and covering up the truth. The recent visit by First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance offered a renewed sense of hope, a feeling that our voices are finally being heard.
For those of us who have fought for decades to be acknowledged, such gestures are deeply meaningful. They suggest that justice, after so many years, may finally be within reach. But hope alone isn’t enough. We cannot afford to wait any longer.
Too many Lejeune veterans have already died waiting. The government has an opportunity to right a terrible wrong – and the time to act is now.
