United States Marine Corps Vietnam Era Veteran and Jamestown High School Class of 1969 alumnus Greg Casamento has been battling kidney disease/cancer for several years now and needs an emergency transplant. Submitted photo

Greg Casamento, a member of the Jamestown High School Class of 1969 and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam era, is preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country – his life.

If one scrolls on any social media platform, chances are that you’ve likely come across the class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of veterans stationed at USMC Camp Lejeune. These veterans are now facing serious health issues – some of which are fatal – due to contaminated drinking water that harbored disease-causing substances and was, crucially, deliberately withheld from the public.

Casamento is someone who has been permanently scarred and damaged for life due to the time spent at the Marines’ camp in North Carolina.

“My brother has been on daily dialysis for about four years now,” said Linda Casamento, Casamento’s sister. “He lives in Deland, Fla., and we almost lost him a few months ago.

According to classaction.org, it is estimated that up to 1 million individuals lived or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987, a period during which the drinking water was significantly contaminated with cancer-causing industrial solvents such as trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene. Even at low concentrations, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances can lead to a range of adverse health effects, and have been associated with low birth weights, various forms of cancer, immune system issues, thyroid hormone disruption, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Moreover, the following types of cancer have been linked to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and thyroid disease (both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism).

Linda Casamento shared that the situation is critical, stating, “He’s on borrowed time.”

She explained that earlier in the year, there were serious concerns about his health, to the point where she felt the need to visit and say her final goodbyes. Fortunately, he managed to recover from that difficult period.

Linda Casamento said that if anyone would like to help or support her brother, contact her at lindacasamento049@gmail.com.