The family of Sgt. John Marshall, a decorated Army veteran battling cancer, confirmed Monday that he had finally passed away. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Marshall’s final months were spent fighting for VA benefits and medical treatment. The veteran believed his cancer was caused by exposure to controversial military burn pits used to dispose of hazardous substances. When the Department of Veterans Affairs ruled that Marshall’s cancer was not related to his military service, he was unable to appeal the decision because he missed mandatory VA appointments while bedridden with pneumonia.

“It’s all just a big slap in the face,” Marshall told Fox News in February. “I tried to be the perfect soldier. I did everything I was told, and now they just forced my claim through and denied coverage and my benefits.”

Without access to any VA benefits, Marshall’s wife and fellow veteran, Ashley, raised money for his medical bills through GoFundMe before his death. She wrote that she was humbled by all the people who supported Marshall in his last days.

“John was the type of guy who touched people even if he didn’t know them that long,” she said. “The amount of people that have come from all over to offer condolences has been amazing and overwhelming. I knew John was a great person, but it shouldn’t have amazed me as it did that so many other people thought so, too.”

Marshall provided security for Improvised Explosive Device Disposal units as they tossed explosives into toxic burn pits. His claim that exposure to burn pit fumes caused his scar tissue sarcoma is neither new nor unusual. Thousands of veterans have filed similar claims, and last summer 250 veterans sued government contractors for causing their heart and respiratory problems.