Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act

A bill proposed in the 111th Congress, that would have provided medical care to members of
the military exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune was never acted upon.

Senator Richard Burr R-NC has once again taken up the challenge. He has introduced S.277 that
will provide hospital care, medical services and nursing home care to veterans and their families who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina while the water was contaminated.

The bill is cosponsored by Senators Kay Hagen of North Carolina, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and
Bill Nelson of Florida.

Studies have shown that the water was contaminated with several chemicals including VOCs
(volatile organic compounds) known as PCE  including
(Tetrachloroethylene aka Perchloroethylene), TCE (Trichloroethylene), DCE (Dichloroethylene), Vinyl Chloride and BTEX (Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene).

These chemicals are known or suspected human carcinogens.

Many Marines, Sailors, their families, and civilian workers have been affected by contamination
in many forms including breast cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer,
prostate cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, liver disease,  miscarriages, leukemia, non Hodgkins
lymphoma, birth defects (cleft palate, heart disease, Choanal atresia, neural tube defects, low
birth weight and small for gestational age).

Sadly, many of those affected by these diseases have not been informed of the danger of this
exposure.

Sen. Burr said "We now have another shot at doing the right thing for the thousands of
Navy and Marine veterans and their families who were harmed during their service to our
country." "While we continue to seek more answers, we can minimize further suffering by
allowing Lejeune veterans and their families to receive the care they need and deserve."

The Navy and Marine Corps maintain that the Camp Lejeune water contaminates have not been
conclusively linked to the illness and cancer that former residents and workers are now facing.

Sen. Kay Hagen (D-NC) said "Since taking office, it has been a priority for me to ensure that
the veterans who were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to get the answers
and care they deserve." "I will be working with Senator Burr to see that this important
bill gets passed so we can make sure we keep our promises to our veterans."

If you were stationed at Camp Lejeune between the 1950's and the 1980's please visit the Marine
Corp website Camp Lejeune Toxic Water, The Few The Proud, The Forgotten by going to
http://www.tftptf.com/

It is time for our country to stand up and admit the problem, and ensure that the thousands
of veterans and their families finally receive the truth. Time to allow these brave men and
women to receive proper and just care.

Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans
---------------- "And so the greatest of American triumphs... became a peculiarly joyless victory. We had won the Cold War, but there would be no parades." -- Robert M. Gates, 1996