Leo Case was a World War II tank commander who survived the battle of Iwo Jima and risked his life in the South Pacific to save his crew. However, he died at the age of 58 from multiple cancers believed to be linked to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps training facility in North Carolina. His granddaughter, Jessie Hoerman, an attorney in St. Louis, spent two years collecting records to prove his exposure to the contaminated water at the base.
Hoerman’s research led her to believe that up to 1 million people who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 were exposed to chemicals in the drinking water that have been linked to severe health problems. This contamination was caused by various sources, including a nearby dry-cleaning facility and leaks from underground storage tanks on the base.
The chemicals found in the water, such as trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and benzene, can cause diseases like cardiac defects and cancers. Case died of bowel, colon, liver, and lung cancer in 1976, with no evidence of hereditary or infectious disease found in his postmortem examination.
Hoerman’s collection of records related to Camp Lejeune is believed to be the largest private archive of materials on the base. She plans to share this information with other veterans and their families who may be affected by the water contamination, following the passing of the PACT Act in 2022, expanding benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances.
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