VA plans to propose expanded disability benefits eligibility for Veterans exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune

I am glad the VA is taking responsibility for these marines, sailors, and whoever else served there. However, how about those who served at Fort McClellan, Alabama? The EPA shut down the post (I know they say it was under BRAC) for being “The most toxic place in America” due to the chemicals and radiation in the ground, water, and air surrounding the post. The city of Anniston sued Monsanto, the government’s partner in this whole mess, and won $700 million dollars. SO VA, again what about we who served at Ft. McClellan?

I wonder if those dates are accurate. I served at Lejuene from 1993-1998 with a 1 year in Okinawa (1995-1996). My family lived there most of that time. We lived in Midway Park. I worked in French Creek and at Stone bay range. In 2013 I came down with squamous cell carcinoma on my tongue. You might be saying to yourself that I might have dipped or smoked. I have never dipped nor ever even tried smoking. In fact, doctors do not have any idea how or why that I have cancer.

CAMP LEJEUNE USMC Folks should look at website called (The Few,The Proud, The Forgotten) TFTPTF. It has a great CAMP LEJEUNE Timeline and lots of helpful info. with links to EPA and A.S.T.D.R. studies and CAP meetings V.A. also.

I got there in 88 as well, how can they definitively say i haven’t been affected? I have night sweats, migraines and a host of other issues as well as being a 60% service connected disabled veteran, which only took me 20 plus years to get and I’m still fighting to get my rating up. The struggle continues.

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune in the seventies. I have kidney and liver disease. Do I qualify?

This is all very interesting because I took a veteran to Kentucky do you speak with the service officer who is extremely nice and said that only one claim head ever been paid on the Camp LeJeune claim for the US Department of Navy and which all of those had to fill out that form to file a claim. I have repeatedly filed the claim and the claims got lost I’m behalf of the Veteran and Veteran has had every type of surgery which I cannot disclose under the HIPPA and Veterans Health administration. And when a person is continuing to have surgery for their stomach: Powell hernias etc. etc. and your wife had in her first couple years after there for first son was can was conceived at camp Lejune ended up haviarian cancer and was never able t ch that. The claim of the dependents at that time have never and this veteran has never been paid and just in the last 30 days once again was denied under the new fast track rating system that looks like the formula instead of doing it the old-fashioned way of adding up units of each eligibility are non-and stead of using a formula that actually subtracts the rating for disability it shows that these veterans would be at 100% rating including their children but like most of the veteran you do not have a clue when it comes to NIH or the chair of these different committees who make a determination whether they are acceptable or not and that includes the university so it goes like this from the veterans administration to NIH to the chair who usually a dean at a university in another state and they hold meetings and committees and all of this is published and no one knows about it and then there’s a nonprofit involved. And when veterans of any war are being told that they have to prove that this happened in their service records should probably take a look at all the archives and all the records base medical and hitting confidentiality and sealed one and have them open You must remember this the providers who work or contract it with the federal government is working for the federal government so you need to have an outside provider that doesn’t have to worry whether they’re going to be terminated or remove from the medical field and I can say this because I served on it I served on a federal medical board. And not one person can get it cleaned correctly done properly and they cannot add it up or the new formula methods or add a dependent which they still don’t pay for that dependent they should be ashamed of themselves and those reviewer’s and those compliance officers need to look at the United States code then I am finally speaking up because once again I have to go and file another form for how many years at this continue in justice on the highest level that even DOJ should be investigating when it comes to claims and the US department of Health and Human Services needs to recognize that the body from head to toe is all connected together not in bits and pieces so for them to say we are going to only cupboard these diseases or conditions or element or whatever is ludicrous. And to add in summary I am very familiar about the bass in Michigan I was just up there few months ago and I was also the city of Dow Chemical So for all of those who are saying something on this blog it’s time for you get in your legislators the office not calling not emailing that faxing but Letterly learning about what Congress Road in those US code and the federal registry for everyone to have knowledge you up And at this point it seems like as one judge said who is making decisions for the veterans on appeals I’m hardly getting any appeals that was told by his 81st handed to me in another city so they did nine holes and the loss of records. If you don’t read it correctly where it came from and on that last page of that signature it was done at the local office be prepared you might’ve missed the date of filing and every time we turn around the wrong forms are giving and we have to turn around and do the right forms and it’s a consistent nightmare battle and it needs to stop. I remember this there is eight in attendance out they are veterans for your spouses and for you to those who served during the times that they allow and that is separate and you get with the VA social worker and then there’s dating attendance under a claim if you’re home by now to remember each date is trained differently but if you let everyone else do everything for you also and you don’t want to learn and take time to take a look at it and learn the laws that have been provided for you all in the United States Have a good day and I hope much excess for all the veterans out there their spouses and their family members and their children and lineages of them that are veterans for generations and generations that have served in the United States and let me get this straight it is the United States of America not America the United States of America

Were family members who lived at tarawa terrace 1and2 affected?????

What about all the AF Security Police assigned to Manzoni weapons storage area who were possibly exposed to buried nuclear waste and radioactivity from weapons and other things stored there. Numerous former SPs have developed cancers and other serious medical issues. Also what about the “Agent Orange” like chemical contamination at the closed Chanute AFB in Rantoul,Il. Air Force denies burying chemical waste in land fill that seeped in water table..The “900” area has been shown to be contaminatex with numerous cancer causing chemical agents. Yet if you got cancer later in life years after service ended.

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune during the latter part of the contamination period. Can I apply for disability benefits although I do not display any of the listed diseases? Please, advise.

It’s as though you have to be cripple or maimed to get VA’s attention. Forget the fact you served honorably and in an region where you actually know what you were exposed to. It’s not like we were told of the hazards in the desert. I’ve had a board tell me I wasn’t exposed to anything or was around any explosives but, I distinctively remember two near miss scud attacks which I still have nightmares from but, what do I know.

In some locations a Veterans Organization like The American Legion, VFW, DAV, etc. can be helpful, but the quality varies a great deal from one chapter to another so shop around. Do not sign anything for anyone unless you are convinced they are the best in your area, because once you sign you are locked in for 12 months.
Educate yourself as to the actual procedures involved in making a claim. You have the right to know, and always put everything in writing. Even handwritten notes on scrap paper can become legal documents later in your appeals. Always request a written answer to your inquiries, take notes during any phone calls and get the names and job titles of the people you are talking to. Keep making meticulous notes of your own, with dates and times, again this will be admissible later on as legal documents as long as you swear to the truth, no need for witnesses, notary stamps,etc. Verbal recollections are considered hearsay and do not have legal status.
Make your claim and provide all records requested. You have the right to request copies of your military records, including health records-get them. Do not accept excuses if they claim they do not have them-get it in writing. Be prepared to be denied on your first attempt. Read the denial very carefully supply answers or dispute their responses-in writing according to the instructions-it is not necessary to have it typed, handwritten documents, letters, notes, etc. are acceptable and have legal status. Appeal every time you are denied. Keep adding new material, get.your own medical diagnosis, dispute anything you disagree with-in writing. Note the time limits and keep a calendar to remind you of deadlines.
Eventually your appeal will go to Washington DC. You may have to do a judicial review live on closed circuit TV-get a Service Officer to go with you. Service Officers can be from your local State Office of Veterans Affairs or from one of the Veteran Organizations. Be courteous and respectful at all times, do not take denials personally, keep your composure, use your brains not your mouth. Some lawyers could be helpful, but finding a good one is a crap shoot. Talk to veterans who have been through it, be patient. Sometimes your case has a better chance once it gets to Washington, away from the local warlord’s bias and incompetence. Think of it as a boxing match, losing a round is not that important, just keep fighting. Good luck and Merry Christmas everyone!

What about the water at Parris Island, SC. was also contaminated.

For the info of all the other former US Marines (as in USMC = Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children), my wife and I have submitted claim after claim. Initially the list of diseases also included prostate problems along with cleft palate and cleft lip. I have had prostate problems for many years and our son was conceived while stationed there during ’74-’75, the worst contamination periods, yet now, after having every claim denied those listed diseases no longer are on the list. THANK YOU VERY MUCH not only the USMC but also our legislators for dropping the ball on this issue from day 1. As a former police officer I would seriously consider that no only the USMC but also our legislators who stood behind the USMC in this should all be arrested for insurance fraud, and “conspiracy to commit fraud” and sentenced to consecutive terms.

Isn’t it strange that they can spend BILLIONS on immigrants who are most likely terrorists, or the illegal immigrants who flood our borders, yet they can properly take care of their own men and women who unconditionally served and even worse. And even worse, they can’t and won’t help house or feed the thousands of homeless vets yet they have no problem spending it on “refugees”

Our legislators can easily pass their own pay raises but none for those on Social Security. I say fire them all and put in people who actually give a damn about the people who voted them in office. I would never deface or disrespect the US flag but I’ll be honest and say I won’t fly it until they clean up all of this and the immigrant situations.

I filed a claim for water contamination at camp lejuene and my claim was denied due to the fact that I was not being treated for condition. they couldn’t have even read or reviewed my chart as I have been treated for condition for the past 20 years.

My wife and I were at Camp Lejeune in Terawa Terrace from 1977 until 1979. I was a Hospital Corpsman serving with the marines in a medical company. She died last October from a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She was only 58.

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1977 to 1978 in the barracks area located next to the Base Theater, and we would have been exposed to the chemicals there. I openly admit this is a logistical nightmare and with all certainty believe the burden of caring for our people stricken with illness during this period is of great importance and also believe our nation is utterly overwhelmed on how to deal with it.
The primary difficulty we as servicemen and women are experiencing involves lack of full disclosure of chemicals used or stored by our government, and an honest assement as to how our nation will truthfully and successfully confront this issue in support of Veterans and their families. At Camp Zukeran Foster 1976 to 1977, I can say with all certainty we stored a barrel of Agent Pink herbicide in our barracks… 11 years after the supposed cut-off date of the chemicals’ deployment in Vietnam. I witnessed our own Marine work details filling old metallic style hand pump sprayers which were then used to keep the vegetation back from the perimeter of our barracks. I also witnessed local civilian work personnel with backpack sprayers fill the spray tank on their back with Agent Pink from the same barrel. Subsequently, two Rainbow herbicide burial sites with up to 120 barrels each(one at Futenma Base and one at Hamby Airstrip site) leached into the water table 1/2 mile south of our barracks.

I served USMC 62-66- camp Lejune , drank water, shower, swam, and no medical dis. all who was there should gets something, how can you not if you lived on base ? we are human and served

What happen to fort Meccellan vets,wich is not much different than , camp lejune

Can someone tell me what can a former C.L water victim do. The veteran from New Jersey believed he was disillusioned at times due to the C.L. water and this caused him to become a AWOL. And now cannot receive any medical treatment at any VA Medical Facility and has “0” VA Compensation Disability benefits and hasn’t worked in 10 yrs.?

What about those family members who have already passes on due to lukemia. She was there from 1981-1986. Passed away in 2004.

MCAS El toro contamination?