- Michael D. Dunn
- A stylized photo of the beach at Camp Lejune in North Carolina
In late November, we wondered if the bad news regarding water contamination at Camp Lejeune would ever end after federal government scientists released a report tying increased instances of male breast cancer to living at the camp.
Now The Huffington Post is reporting a potential cover-up:
The U.S. Navy is asking government investigators to suppress information concerning the toxic water scandal at the Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, according to a letter obtained Thursday by The Huffington Post.The letter, signed by Maj. Gen. J.A. Kessler of the Marine Corps and dated Jan. 5, 2012, asks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry to withhold from a forthcoming report details about the whereabouts of water lines, wells, treatment plants and storage tanks on the North Carolina military base — in the name of national security.
“The Marine Corps understands the need to share information with the scientific community,” writes Kessler, the Marines’ assistant deputy commandant for installations and logistics. “Prudence requires, however, that information sharing be within the rubric of responsible force protection.”
Government watchdogs and environmental advocates said they interpret the letter as further evidence of a Navy effort to evade culpability for what many call the worst and largest drinking water contamination in U.S. history.
Read the entire article, by Lynne Peeples, here.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2012.
No, Not the US Government. They wouldn’t hide anything. (sarcasm)
Here is the bottom line. The US is looking at a huge financial liability to take responsibility for this mess. Irregardless of whether or who did it or not, who is covering it up, the fact is quality marines and people are hurt and the Navy and the US doesn’t want to pay the bill. It is irrelevant if someone dropped the ball, Americas finest were hurt and now it is time to help.
The correct action would be to take responsibility and pay to fix the mess and take care of the affected. The US Government can give tons of US money away for all kinds of junk but they procrastinate around how to take care of their very own fighters, the same people who keep America free.
They have preached and taught us to take responsibility for our actions and held us responsible for actions or lack of, but then they do the exact opposite when they are caught doing wrong.
We are holding the US Government, Navy, and Marine Corps for there lack of action at Camp Lejeune. We are talking about Americas best who fought and died for our country and now the US is going to be cheap on taking care of their own. America would not be here if not for the sacrifices of people who served in the military.
I served at Camp Lejeune from 82 to 86 in the Marines and I am very sick. I am disgusted with what they preach and what they do, and I am specifically speaking of he upper command who are cowardly hiding and calculating. We all know what the right thing to do is so stand up and do the right thing.
It is time for you boys to quit kicking the ball around and to start practicing what you preach. There is no way out of this problem except to walk straight through the fire and do the right thing, no matter what the cost. Every day you delay and procrastinate is another day you show your true colors. Stop talking and start acting.
Don’t ask Americas sons and daughters to fight and die when you hide and delay. There is only one course of action! Lets start taking care of our own as we were taught.
Robert Campisi
1982 to 1986
1/2 & 3/2, 2nd Marine Division
Camp Lejeune, NC 28542
I was stationed in Jasksonville between ’84 and 88. Spent a year of that at Lejuene. So many Marines and their families have come and gone during that time. Not even sure where they would start to put together those numbers. While I do not discount the possibility that this caused serious health problems and even deaths, I am also sure that if there was the promise of a big pay-off by some lawyer, then everything from pimples and sore throats to asthma and brain tumors would be blamed on the water. Great for the people who lived at Lejuene, no help to the parents of the child who died of the same cancer but lived in Charlotte or Wilmington or Clinton. While I have no doubt information has been supressed (the Navy excells in cover-ups), I also can imagine the can of worms it would open and the hundreds of millions if not billions this is going to cost the Government (i.e. taxpayers). Only time will tell how this will end up.