I was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from July 1977 to January 1981, where I served as a Navy Hospital Corpsman. I worked at the naval hospital on base and lived in the barracks about 100 yards behind it.
During that entire time, I, along with my fellow Marines and Sailors, was unknowingly exposed to toxic water that we all used to drink, cook our food, brush our teeth and shower. The government was well aware that the water was contaminated but swept the truth under the rug, allowing me and my fellow Marines to continue using it despite the known risk. A disservice was done to all of us who served our country and all the families who lived on base.
Like so many others who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, I am now paying the price for the toxic exposure my body was subjected to. I was extremely healthy until the age of 44, when I had a stroke. Following that, the health issues continued. Before my 60th birthday, I was diagnosed with lung cancer, ultimately receiving the diagnosis of Stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the lung. I have stayed in shape and never smoked, yet because of the poisonous water I was exposed to 40 years ago, I am battling a type of lung cancer that occurs only 5% of the time in nonsmokers. I now receive IV chemotherapy every three weeks. The diagnosis forced me to quit my job as a board-certified neurosurgeon.
The effects of the exposure are a death sentence. I am seeking justice from the government because I am looking out for my wife’s future. I want her to be able to live the life she deserves; the life we would have had together if I had never been exposed to that toxic water, fallen ill and been forced to leave my job. This never should have happened to me or to the whole generation of Marines and Sailors stationed at Camp Lejeune who fought and risked their lives for the United States.
That’s why Congress and my senators, Mike Lee and John Curtis, must pass the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act of 2025. Since the original Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law several years ago, the government has only made a few settlements, leaving so many Camp Lejeune veterans waiting for justice as their illnesses worsen. We cannot afford to wait any longer. This generation deserves justice.
This new legislation would build on the solid foundation that the Camp Lejeune Justice Act established and would allow these cases to move forward, hopefully giving more veterans the resources and help they have earned for their service to this country. Many of my fellow veterans, like me, are frustrated with the government’s inability to secure justice for us Camp Lejeune veterans and our families. I urge all of our representatives to vote for the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act so veterans get the care and recognition we deserve.