Testimony from the Proud but Forgotten

BY JAKE SCHUESSLER

On May 24 retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger, founder of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten, the Camp Lejeune family advocacy group, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Ensminger, whose daughter died of leukemia most likely related to exposure to toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune, spoke to the Senate panel about his frustrations with the VA’s Subject Matter Expert (SME) program. The SME program employs contractors to review health claims submitted by veterans exposed to toxins at the camp, but the scientific materials and procedures used by evaluators remain secret.

For more on Camp Lejeune’s toxic water legacy and Jerry Ensminger’s advocacy role, see Richard Currey’s “Contamination & Betrayal” in the May/June 2016 issue.