Veterans who contracted eight different medical conditions while serving at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from 1953 to 1987 have seen the Veterans Affairs Department change its policy regarding treatment. The Military Times reported on Thursday, Dec. 17, that VA officials had determined the eight diseases – kidney cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, scleroderma, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia and Parkinson's disease – were all caused by drinking Camp Lejeune's contaminated water.
The Veterans Health Administration and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry both contributed to the years of health research that located the guilty contaminants.
"The water at Camp Lejeune was a hidden hazard, and it is only years later that we know how dangerous it was," said VA Secretary Robert McDonald, according to Military Times. "We thank ATSDR for the thorough review that provided much of the evidence we need to fully compensate veterans who developed one of the conditions known to be related to exposure to the compounds in the drinking water."
According to Orlando's News 6, prior to the decision, only 778 of 9,636 former servicemembers applying for disabled veterans benefits for illnesses related to Camp Lejeune were approved. Thankfully, veterans exposed to the harmful camp compounds won't have to fight for their benefits any longer.
"Today's announcement is a welcome first step by the VA and hopefully a sign that the adversarial relationship they have had with the Camp Lejeune community has improved," said Mike Partain, an advocate for veterans who grew ill in Lejeune , according to the source. "While this is welcomed news, the SME program still remains and needs to be dismantled before it can harm other veterans. I look forward to working with the VA on other diseases such as breast cancer and bladder cancer to have them included for service connection."
More progress still needs to be made, but the VA's announcement is a promising first step to make sure veterans are taken care of in their life after service.