A Sip Before Dying

I’d been having a great workout, bench-pressing 200-plus pounds over and over again before racking the weights.  Breathing deeply I stepped out of my room and down the walk to the break room where I bent over the water cooler, sucking down gulp after gulp of water.

It was cold, clear, and refreshing…and was poisoning me.

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A young hard-bodied Marine, I was proud of my fitness.  Every single time I took the Marine Corps physical fitness test I scored first class, which meant I was in the elite class of the most physically fit members of the branch of service best known to include the most fit, hard-charging members.

I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for the entire four years I served in the Corps, living in the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters in the French Creek area of the base.

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Recently, I had cause to look up a map of my old Marine Corps base, paying special attention to an area delineating a large portion of that base, as well as Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, both in North Carolina.  I searched until I located French Creek which was pretty much centered in the area of Lejeune marked as containing contaminated water for the years from August 1953 through December 1987.

I was stationed there from late 1977 through late 1981.  That contaminated water was the only water we had to drink, cook, or bathe in.

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A few years ago other former Marines started telling me I needed to check into what they called the Camp Lejeune water contamination issue.  When I did that I found that the water at Lejeune has been tested and found to have been contaminated with several different chemicals during a roughly 34 year period.  Those chemicals were some pretty dangerous ones too.  Two on-base water wells that were shut down in 1985 were found to contain Trichloroethylene (TCE), Perchloroethylene (PCE), Benzene, Vinyl chloride, and other compounds.

“Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are the chemicals that caused the contamination. There were two main VOCs initially identified in Camp Lejeune’s water supply, a dry cleaning solvent, and a degreaser. However, later studies showed that there were upwards of 70 other chemicals in the water that caused health risks.”

After research, I found that the intake of water on Lejeune was associated with a higher-than-normal incidence of multiple health issues, and the VA determined that affected veterans were eligible for disability compensation due to diseases, including adult leukemia, aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Parkinson’s disease.

Those eight diseases are said to have a “presumptive service connection” for veterans, reservists, and National Guard members who were stationed in that area of Lejeune for 30 days or more during those 34 years listed above.  According to one report I read, “Presently, these conditions are the only ones for which there is sufficient scientific and medical evidence to support the creation of presumptions; however, VA will continue to review relevant information as it becomes available.

“Veterans who are experiencing other health conditions that they think may be related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune are encouraged to contact their primary care provider and to file a claim. VA reviews and decides disability compensation claims on a case-by-case basis.”

OK, so, at present I have not been diagnosed with any of those diseases, so I’m in the clear, right?

Not so fast.  The 2012 Camp Lejeune health care law says that the Veterans Administration will provide cost-free care for certain conditions, to veterans who served at least 30 days of active duty at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987.  Those qualifying health conditions include: esophageal cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma, renal toxicity, female infertility, scleroderma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, hepatic steatosis, miscarriage, and neurobehavioral effects.

Wow.  That’s a lot of different diseases and conditions, but does any of this affect me?

The simple answer is yes, and no, and yes.

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A few years ago, a buddy of mine from my time in the Corps called me.  During our conversation, Bobby Townley told me about some of the serious medical problems he was experiencing.  He ended by telling me that the doctors thought he might have Parkinson’s Disease. 

When I recently found that Parkinson’s Disease is one of the problems associated with the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, where we served together, I tried to call him.  I wanted to find out if he was aware of the water contamination case.

Someone else had his old telephone number.  I left a message explaining that I was an old Marine Corps buddy of Bobby’s and asking, if the person who now has his old number knows him, to ask him to call me back.

I never got a call.

I just now did a search on the internet and found that Bobby passed away in 2017.  He was 59 years old.

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When I first got to Camp Lejeune in December of 1977, I was assigned to a room with Bobby Townley and another young Marine.  The other man had just been promoted and was soon moved to a room with other NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers).  Another young Marine was moved into the room with Bobby and me. 

Jerry “Tree” Tyree.

Jerry and I were soon about as close friends as a couple young Marines could be.  We went a lot of places together and served alongside each other for the better part of four years.  I took a lot of weekend trips to his family’s homes in Waynesboro, Virginia.  They treated me like family. 

He and I changed the transmission in my old Pontiac Ventura out in the parking lot in front of our barracks.  MPs (Military Policemen) came by and threatened to take us to the brig if we didn’t stop working on my car in the lot.  So we finished replacing the transmission, moved it to another parking space, locked the doors, and went back into the barracks. 

We got into a lot of trouble together and were almost inseparable until I got out of the Corps.  We called each other a time or two after that, then lost touch.

After I was smacked in the face with the fact that Bobby Townley was dead, it occurred to me that I should make an attempt to reconnect with “Tree”.

He passed away in 2007.  He was only 47 years old.

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I honestly don’t know if either Bobby or Jerry was killed as a result of drinking the water at Lejeune.  Neither do I know they were not.

In my research on the water issue, I found one man who was fighting the VA for treatment of conditions he said he was suffering as a result of being stationed at Lejeune.  One of his comments stuck with me.  He said that the one thing that 80% of the men who were stationed at Camp Lejeune during those 34 years have in common…is that they are dead. 

What percentage of the surviving 20% of us are battling water contamination caused diseases I don’t know, but I’ll guarantee, if it’s one man, it’s too many.

My research indicates that the VA is denying the vast majority of claims from former Marines seeking help with problems due to the water contamination.

Semper Fi, Marines.  Isn’t that what they taught us?  Always faithful?

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So, yes, if Bobby and/or Jerry died due to the water we all drank, I am definitely affected by the Camp Lejeune water contamination. 

No, as far as I know I don’t have any of the first eight diseases.  So far so good.

As far as the other list, go all the way to the bottom and, yes, I do see indications of possible neurobehavioral effects.

After Annie and I moved to Piggott, Arkansas, I knew I needed to connect with a new doctor.  Yesterday, as I sat talking to Brandy Pace, APRN at the Piggott Clinic, it occurred to me that I should probably mention my exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.  As expected, she had heard nothing about it, so I determined to find some information to share with her, since she will most likely be my primary caregiver going forward.

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According to one source, “The term ‘neurobehavioral effects’ specifically refers to conditions related to the relationship between the action of the nervous system and behaviors.  This does not include neurologic disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, although Parkinson’s disease is presumptive.

“Symptoms of neurobehavioral effects include headaches, lack of coordination, sensory disturbances, confusion, depression, tension, trouble concentrating, alterations in neurobehavioral testing that indicate deficits in attention, reaction time, visuomotor coordination, motor function, digit symbol, and contrast sensitivity.  It also includes some learning or behavioral disorders.”

Some of those symptoms have been increasing gradually in me, and now seem to be increasing faster, for many years. 

I first noticed some of them a few years after I got out of the Marines.

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I will print out the information I have found and give it to Brandy.  Hopefully she can help me sort out any legitimate concerns and contact the VA to begin treatment.

Will this be what kills me?  I don’t know.  Am I scared?  Of course not.  I’ve had a good life.  I have six awesome sons and 12 (so far) incredible grandchildren.  I still have time left, so I’ll enjoy it to the fullest.

But Jerry and Bobby deserved those things too.

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Addendum: To all those veterans out there, I thank you for your service on this Veterans’ Day (November 11).  For those Marines out there, I hope you had a happy Marine Corps Birthday (November 10).

Thank you for your service.

By the way, if any of you former Marines or sailors were stationed at Camp Lejeune for thirty days or more from August 1953 through December 1987, contact the VA and see what you need to do from there. 

You gave your time to the United States of America.  Now, the US needs to support those of us who put our lives on the line to keep us all free.

God bless you all.

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