Consumer Law
J. Edward Bell, III of Bell Legal Group and Other Leaders Help Veterans Poisoned by Camp Lejeune Water Seek Justice
In 1964, U.S. Marine Peter Optekar, stationed at Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina, met the woman of his dreams.
“I said to the Marine lieutenant sitting next to me, ‘See that beautiful girl whirling on the dance floor? I’m going to marry her!’” Optekar said. “The chase was on. We were married at the Camp Lejeune Chapel and soon had a baby boy on the way. Love was in the air, and excitement was high.”
Both Peter and his wife Grace were in excellent health. He was a recent military academy graduate and accomplished athlete. Grace had two healthy young children from a previous marriage. Their idyllic world crashed the following year when their baby was born at 1.3 pounds and lived only a few hours.
