SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — It was spring 1958 when South Kingstown resident John Cooke was sent to North Carolina to serve in the U.S. Marines Corps. Cooke and his fellow Marines stayed at Camp Geiger, which is right next door to Camp Lejeune, where the vast majority of infantry training took place. "I was there, and my life has been seriously affected," Cooke said. "What makes me the most mad is that I didn't do anything wrong." Nearly a million veterans and civilians were potentially exposed to dangerous chemicals in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also uncovered a link between the contaminated water and certain cancers, including Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which Cooke was diagnosed with. "It's a very serious disease," he said. "Fortunately, I had good doctors and I've been free from that cancer for five years." Cooke also fought prostate cancer and was recently diagnosed with melanoma. He believes his health issues are linked to his exposure to the toxic water. "The Marines treated me pretty well, and I have no adverse feelings toward the Marine Corps," Cooke said. "But somebody screwed up ... a lot of guys got sick and a lot of them died." The Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law two years ago, allowing those exposed to the contaminated water to file claims with the U.S. Navy and seek relief in court. The U.S. Navy has received 546,000 claims and counting, but so far less than 200 have been settled, according to North Carolina Reps. Greg Murphy and Deborah Ross. That's why Murphy and Ross introduced legislation that improves the 2022 law by ensuring that those exposed have the right to a jury trial. It would also expand the number of courts that can hear cases to address with the backlog and cap attorneys' fees so veterans have access to qualified counsel. Cooke told 12 News he wanted to share his story to raise awareness. "There's no doubt in my mind that there's a lot of guys out there who have no idea what happened," Cooke said. "People should know what happened, and it happened for a long time." Rhode Island Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo both support the Camp Lejeune Justice Corrections Act, which was introduced back in May. It has since been referred to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for consideration. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW