ORLANDO, Fla. — As many as one million people may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, a U.S. Marine Corps base in North Carolina.
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A study just released by the CDC shows service members stationed there between 1950 and the 1980s have at least a 20 percent higher risk of several types of cancer.
While the VA provides compensation and benefits to many of those service members, the journey to help isn’t always easy.
88-year-old Marine Corp Combat Engineer Emilio Reguero was one of many in Central Florida to get a cancer diagnosis decades after training at Camp Lejeune.
His family said after serving his country, the veteran was fighting until his final days to get VA benefits.
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According to Reguero’s family, he first tried to apply for VA benefits and compensation because of the toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune back in 2017.
A VA letter from October of that year shows that the VA was aware of his intent to file a compensation claim, but his family said it was delayed because of missing documentation and technology hurdles.
The family was told they needed to find a discharge certificate to file the claim, but his VA discharge record was allegedly destroyed in a fire at the VA archives in 1973.
“He was there for his nation. And now that he needs the nation, he doesn’t have the support,” said Reguero’s granddaughter Mylenie Gonzales, “I asked him do you really want me to keep fighting. Like a warrior, he told me yes.”
The family contacted Brian Moyer with the American Legion Post 35 Service Office three weeks before Reguero’s death for guidance in his final days.
“When we get to the compensation and pension side of the VA it is a nightmare,” said Moyer, a former Marine and a longtime veteran advocate.
Moyer said Reguero’s story is unfortunately all too common. He has firsthand experience with the claims process since he was exposed to a different toxic chemical while serving in Guam. Moyer has already waited more than 7 years on a decision on his compensation.
He calls the application and appeal process “complex, bureaucratic, and archaic,” and believes thousands of other Camp Lejeune veterans may die before they receive any compensation.
While it’s too late for Reguero, the family hopes his story can help other veterans facing roadblocks.
Reguero’s family notes the same missing discharge paperwork now is preventing their request for a military honor at his funeral.
“They’re asking for the discharge papers. I don’t know where to get it from. I don’t know where to go to. I don’t know why it’s so hard. I went through this already with him 7 years ago,’ said Virginia Reguero, Emilio Reguero’s eldest daughter.
Channel 9 contacted the VA about Reguero’s case Wednesday.
A spokesperson told us they’re working on a response and looking to see what help they can provide Reguero’s family.
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