Being a Brit in the US sometimes it can be hard to fathom certain things.. So when my husband was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in 2016, it was something I just had to accept. However fast forward a few years I then learnt that there was toxic water on the Marine base he served.

From the time of the diagnosis my husband died within 3 years. During that time WE (The Camp Lejeune Community) were trying to get a billed passed so that we would be able to sue the US government for wrongful death and personal injury.

In August 2022, President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act alongside the PACT Act. This legislation allowed us to sue the government for our husbands’ deaths.

I later realized that the contamination at Camp Lejeune affected not only US service members but also military personnel from other countries who trained there. This motivated me to contact the British media to raise awareness in the UK.

If my husband had known earlier about the poisoning, he might have been diagnosed sooner and received life-saving treatment.

As I delved deeper into this issue, it dawned on me that it wasn’t just US service personnel affected by this contamination. Other countries, including the UK, used the base for training. Determined to raise awareness, I reached out to the British media, hoping to alert others who might be unknowingly suffering from unexplained illnesses.

I managed to secure an interview with Christopher Bradford from The Sun Newspaper. I shared my concerns and emphasized the need for greater exposure in the UK. Chris informed me that he had contacted the UK Government, which is now encouraging veterans who served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 to apply for compensation under the War Pension Scheme.

Today I listened to a Podcast by Emma Forde and Andrew Picken from The BBC 

It was a really informative Podcast that I would recommend all to listen to. It was very indepth,  went into what happened at Camp Lejeune and the magnitude of the disaster. I was a bit pissed to tell you the truth because I learnt that not only had the US Government not done anything to contact those Royal Marines via the UK Government, neither had the Ministry of Defence.

Now with the clock ticking and only a few days left to claim compensation, I fear that many are going to be left behind.

I have a Facebook group for Widows of those Marines that have died because of the Toxic Water Poisoning. If you know any widows whose husbands may have been stationed at Camp Lejeune please refer them to my group. The group offers support and a place for widows to express themselves.

We the Camp Lejeune family were given a 2 year window to submit out claims to the Department of Navy. From listing to the Podcast today, it is very clear that there could be hundred’s of families in the UK that are not even aware that they can claim compensation for the lost of their loved ones.

August 10 2024 is the deadline to file claims, however those in the UK want further time as they had no knowledge of this and feel that it is unfair that they were not notified.