A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals: Toxic Exposure of US Marines. This item is unavailable.A Few Good Men, Too Many Chemicals: Toxic Exposure of US Marines

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) is formed as an unintentional by-product of incomplete combustion. It may be released to the environment during the combustion of fossil fuels and wood, and during the incineration of municipal and industrial wastes. It causes chloracne in humans, a severe acne-like condition. This chemical has been shown to be very toxic in animal studies, causing effects on the skin and cancer in people. This is the contaminant in Agent Orange. The base's four landfills burned waste for over 56 years (1943 to 1999). No incinerators were used. The Navy made $650 million on the sale of the base. The state of California published a clear statement that Dioxin is a contaminant of concern for El Toro.

Nothing from the EPA, the Navy, and the Marine Corps on the risks of exposure to Dioxin at El Toro from the burnings at the four landfills and the crash crew pits. Dioxin found its way into the soil and the base wells. We drank the water, got cancer and many of us died. These were my brothers. This is totally unacceptable.

Robert O'Dowd is a Marine veteran with thirty years of experience as an auditor, accountant, and financial manager. After the Marines, Robert graduated from Temple University. Originally from Pennsylvania, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 19, served in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings in 52 months of active duty in the 1960s. Most of the 75 men in his Parris Island boot camp platoon were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. The wells at Lejeune were contaminated with toxic organic solvents and benzene for over 30 years. He spent 20 months in the most contaminated portion of MCAS El Toro, an EPA Superfund base, working and sleeping on duty watch in a Radium 226 contaminated hangar, and drinking, showering, and cleaning with water contaminated with organic solvents, benzene, and multiple toxic chemicals. He has been seriously ill since 1986, surviving two bladder cancers, prostate cancer, jaw cancer, hemorrhagic radiation cystitis, peripheral polyneuropathy, hyperprolactinemia, and other debilitating medical conditions. Despite these medical conditions, he continued to work full-time until forced to retire from the Defense Logistics Agency in November 1996. After retiring from DLA, he wrote for Veterans Today and Salem-News.com. As a result of military service, Robert is a 100% disabled Veteran for many years (2009). After reviewing his medical history and a lengthy medical examination in 2017 a doctor skilled in environmental exposures told him that "you should be dead. You need to ask God why you're still alive."