JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The paperwork on James Kowalski's kitchen table told two separate stories. A retired Marine gunnery sergeant, Kowalski had spent 18 years at Camp Lejeune and was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in early 2025. His VA claim for asbestos-related disability was already approved. What nobody had told him — until an advocate walked through his door — was that he also qualified for a separate set of benefits under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. He'd been leaving money on the table for over a year.
Kowalski's situation is not unusual. According to veterans benefits advocates working with mesothelioma patients in the Carolinas and Virginia, a significant number of Camp Lejeune veterans with asbestos-related cancers are failing to file overlapping claims that could substantially increase their monthly compensation and expand their healthcare access. The VA's own public health data confirms that Camp Lejeune personnel faced dual exposures: asbestos in barracks, shipyard facilities, and base infrastructure built before 1980, and volatile organic compounds in the base's drinking water supply from the 1950s through 1987.
Two Separate Exposures, Two Separate Claims Pathways
The VA recognizes that asbestos exposure and Camp Lejeune water contamination are distinct qualifying events under federal law, and that veterans who experienced both may file claims under each pathway independently. According to the VA's public health office, Marines and Navy personnel who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987 may qualify for water contamination benefits — even if they already receive service-connected disability for mesothelioma or lung cancer under the asbestos exposure framework.
The practical gap is awareness. Veterans who filed asbestos claims years ago — often before the Camp Lejeune Justice Act passed in August 2022 — may not know a second legal avenue exists. The two pathways have different filing requirements, different evidence standards, and in some cases, different monthly compensation rates. Navigating both simultaneously requires either a skilled VSO or an advocate who understands the intersection.
For veterans exploring their options, the VA benefits eligibility tool can help identify which programs apply based on service dates, duty station, and diagnosis.
Why This Matters More Than Most Veterans Realize
Veterans who served during this period — the decades when asbestos was standard construction material on virtually every U.S. military installation — were already at elevated risk before they ever drank a drop of contaminated water. Camp Lejeune concentrated that risk in ways that are still being quantified.
According to the American Legion's veterans healthcare advocacy division, many veterans with mesothelioma are also eligible for Social Security's Compassionate Allowances program, which the Social Security Administration lists mesothelioma as a qualifying condition for expedited approval. That's a third income stream that advocates say is routinely overlooked.
"What I tell every veteran I work with is this: you earned every one of these benefits through your service. Filing one claim doesn't close the door on another. The system is built in silos, and it's your job — or your advocate's job — to connect them."
For families navigating a mesothelioma diagnosis alongside a VA claims process, understanding compensation options beyond the VA — including asbestos trust funds — can make a substantial financial difference during treatment.
What Veterans and Families Should Do Now
The first step is confirming service dates and duty station records. Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 should request their service records through the National Personnel Records Center if they haven't already. From there, a VSO or mesothelioma-specialized advocate can assess eligibility across all three pathways: VA disability for asbestos exposure, Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims, and Social Security Compassionate Allowances.
The VA's disability claim filing portal accepts new and supplemental claims online, and advocates note that supplemental claims for Camp Lejeune water exposure can often be filed without reopening or jeopardizing an existing asbestos-related award.
For veterans and families trying to understand the full picture of what's available, the intersection of military service, toxic exposure, and federal benefits is navigable — but rarely simple. The goal, as any experienced advocate will tell you, is making sure no earned benefit goes unclaimed.
This article provides general information about VA benefits. Eligibility depends on individual service history and medical diagnosis.
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— Larry Gates