Thursday, June 30, 2011

Health Care Bill for Camp Lejeune Vets, Families Moves Forward

Mostly of interest to me since I was stationed there during the time frame, I'm glad this is moving forward.

YubaNet

WASHINGTON, D.C. June 29, 2011 - Today's Senate committee vote to provide medical care for veterans and families made ill by contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune marks an important advance in the effort to address health problems of an estimated 750,000 Americans.

At least 70 men who lived or were conceived at Camp Lejeune have been diagnosed with male breast cancer, a rare disease with an incidence rate of approximately one per 100,000. High incidences of birth defects and childhood illnesses have also been attributed to evidence of in utero exposure to chemicals found in the water.

I think my man boobs are more the result of All-U-Can-Eat Burrito Nite than Camp Swampy's water. With a drinking age of 18, I didn't drink much water except for the bug juice in the chow hall and that shit'd kill anything.

Pollution at Camp Lejeune is the largest incident of environmental contamination at any U.S. military facility on record. It is the subject of the award-winning documentary Semper Fi: Always Faithful.

"Semper Fidelis" is the motto of the Marine Corps and means "Always Faithful". "Semper Fi" means more like "I got mine, you're on your own" or "Pull up the ladder, I'm on board".

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