My husband was proud Marine who died after ‘poisoning’ at Camp Lejeune – he was killed by his country away from war
A MARINE husband’s widow has told how he was killed years after being exposed to toxic water at a military base.
Eric Holford, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1984 and 1988, died in 2019 following a cancer battle.
Brit Michelle James, from London, is among the widows fighting to get justice for veterans who served at the base and were exposed to toxic water.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed concerning alleged toxic water exposure affecting veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987.
It’s estimated that around 1million people were exposed to toxic water at the military base.
Drinking water was contaminated with chemicals found in waste from a dry-cleaning plant and leaking fuel depot.
Michelle, who met Eric on a dating app and moved to the US in 2014, told The U.S. Sun that her husband was a very “proud” marine.
She said: “He loved showing off his skills as he was a very good shooter. He had medals and awards for his shooting skills.”
Michelle, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida, said that Eric’s dress sense was “very sharp” and said that he wouldn’t let her iron his uniform.
Eric, from Nashville, Tennessee, signed up for the Marines at 18 as an “innocent kid,” according to Michelle, and she said joining the forces was his passion.
She said: “He always wanted to be a Marine. There’s nothing better than the Marines.”
Michelle, who runs a Facebook group for widows, revealed that Americans, who join the forces, know they are “signing their life” away for their country.
She said: “They think they could get killed in battle – they’re prepared for that.
“But they don’t expect to be killed once they’ve come out.”
‘SIGNING LIFE AWAY’
Michelle, 57, is fighting for her husband not to be a number as she said: “I don’t want his death to have been in vain.
“I would like him to restore that dignity. We don’t even have a headstone yet.
“He didn’t have a Marines’ military funeral. He didn’t have anything like that.”
Michelle revealed that she’s managed to get her husband’s death certificate amended so it now includes a reference to Camp Lejeune – following an arduous battle.
Eric was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in January 2016 and underwent surgery to get part of his colon removed.
It came years after he had complained about suffering from health issues and was told by doctors that he was “too young” to suffer from cancer.
Medics initially thought he may have had prostate cancer before tests showed colorectal cancer.
But, Eric suffered complications following the surgery.
Michelle said by 2018, it appeared that Eric’s cancer had cleared before spotting was tragically discovered on the lungs and liver.
Eric was diagnosed with bladder cancer and battled kidney disease.
Doctors said that Eric’s prognosis was to remove several of his organs, which he wasn’t prepared to do, said Michelle. He died in September 2019 at the age of 53.
‘COCKTAIL OF CHEMICALS’
In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered gases that had contaminated water supplies.
Drinking water from the treatment plants Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point had been contaminated with PCE – tetrachloroethylene and TCE (trichloroethylene).
Federal health officials have revealed that exposure to both chemicals can cause certain cancers.
Most of the contaminated wells at Camp Lejeune were closed by 1985.
Michelle said servicemembers and their families were “exposed to a cocktail of chemicals” at the base.
Veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 for at least 30 days and who didn’t receive an honorable discharge from the military can apply for disability compensation.
But, they must have been diagnosed with at least one of the eight listed illnesses.
The illnesses include adult leukemia, aplastic anemia, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Parkinson’s disease.
Last summer, President Biden signed a law, the PACT Act, that allowed veterans to get compensation in a federal court.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, part of the PACT Act, allows veterans and their families to submit claims for harm caused by toxic water exposure.
Victims and their families can sue if their cases haven’t been resolved within six months.
In June, it was reported that judges were under fire to respond to more than 600 individual lawsuits.
More than 70,000 claims have been filed since the PACT Act was signed into law.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio raged: “It is unacceptable that those impacted by the contaminated water are stuck in a bureaucratic waiting game. Those who have served this nation deserve better.”
The legal process is gridlocked and cases are stuck in the courts.
Claims continue to flood in; Judge James Dever estimated that it could take more than 1,000 years if he and his three other colleagues tried each case individually.
Michelle has said she’s tuned into political debates on the C-SPAN network and believes the federal government was aware of the infrastructure issues when the PACT Act was signed into law.
But, despite the legal stalemate, she said she’s not giving up the fight for her late husband and fellow veterans exposed to toxic water at the base.
Michelle noted that some veterans and their families want compensation, while others would prefer an apology from the government.
She said: “For me, justice would be recognition.
“I’ve told senators before ‘They have awards like the Purple Heart, I would like the government to do something to recognize the Camp Lejeune victims.’
“I think they should be awarded or have a memorial. Over a million people were poisoned.”