Children Who Died From Water Contamination Lie At Camp Lejeune's Baby Heaven Cemetery

The military did nothing to warn thousands of parents whose children died at Camp Lejeune

Sunday, September 3, 2023 - Children are the most innocent among us and many of us spend our lives raising, nurturing, and protecting them. When a child dies from a preventable disease, questions arise demanding answers. So many children died at Camp Lejeune that a portion of the local cemetery was dubbed "Baby Heaven." "Baby Heaven," serves as a resting place that is reserved for the infants and stillborn children of service members who may have tragically suffered the consequences of the Camp Lejeune water contamination crisis and also a solemn reminder of the potential impact of water contamination on the base. Since the 1950s, distraught parents were left without answers for decades while the military covered up the connection between the highly contaminated Camp Lejeune tap water and children being diagnosed with and eventually dying from childhood leukemia. The Marine Corps failed to notify those who had moved off the base of the water contamination when they eventually sent out warnings to current residents. According to an investigation published by ABC News in 2004, one Marine Corps veteran and his surviving family are furious that they were kept in the dark. " The retired officer is convinced that his daughter's leukemia was caused by toxic chemicals in the drinking water at his former Marine base in Camp Lejeune, N.C. And he blames Marine officials. "These people knew about these contaminants in the drinking water for over a year before Janie was diagnosed with leukemia," Ensminger said. "And they said nothing." The contamination in the base's wells was first discovered in 1980. Three tests confirmed it in 1982. Janey was diagnosed with leukemia in 1983. But Camp Lejeune officials didn't shut down the contaminated wells until almost two years later, in 1985, when they finally notified Marine families that "chemicals had been detected in the water." The Ensmingers, who by that time had moved off-base, never got that notification," ABC News wrote.

"Baby Heaven," serves as a powerful testament to the devastating consequences of negligence and environmental contamination at Camp Lejeune, and indeed, on every military base. Nestled amidst the serene landscape, this sacred ground is a stark reminder of the toll that contamination can take on the most vulnerable members of the military community. Thousands of parents whose infant lies at the Camp Lejeune cemetery have filed Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims to hold the military financially responsible for their carelessness, recklessness, and negligence. One grieving parent, Sarah Johnson, who lost her infant daughter to stillbirth while stationed at Camp Lejeune, expressed the heart-wrenching sentiments shared by many: "Visiting 'Baby Heaven' is a painful pilgrimage. We're left with unending questions about whether the water contamination played a role in our loss. Our children deserve answers, and this place symbolizes the need for accountability and transparency." The name "Baby Heaven" carries a poignant weight, alluding to the hope that these innocent souls have found peace beyond the challenges they faced in their brief lives. Rows of small, unassuming headstones silently echo the pleas for answers and justice.

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