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June 11, 2011
When signing the ( 2003 ) Atomic Veteran’s Relief Act, President George W. Bush said: “Being
wounded by atomic radiation from nuclear weapon tests is no different than being wounded by the bullet of an enemy on the field of battle” ……… Over the years, we have
continuously pressed our Congressional leaders to authorize a special Atomic-Veteran-Medal that would properly honor all Veterans exposed to ionizing radiation particles, dispersed by
nuclear weapons tests, while proudly serving in our Armed Forces…...
I have been asked many times, “if the Brit’s can honor there nuclear vet’s with a proper medal,
then why can’t we get one ?”….. Additionally, I have just recently received a special ( radiation exposure ) medal from a retired Russian Air Force Colonel, who was involved in
gathering air samples for radiation dispersion and fallout pattern grid development, after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in the Ukraine…… It appears as though the
Russians ( and Brit’s ) view events, that cause their military personnel to be exposed to nuclear radiation particles, in a more favorable manner than does the United
States……..
To date, N.A.A.V. has had “zero” success in this area…. That is not to say that we have not had a host of Congressional Legislators, from all 50
States, promising faithfully to “get something done in that area, so as to ‘officially’ honor America’s Atomic-Vet’s”……. Unfortunately, this has not
happened, and equally as unfortunate, the current “official” position of the Dept. of Defense does not agree with President Bush’s statement……
Sadly, given that
there are approx. 190,000+ surviving Atomic-Veterans, who’s average age is now 84……. their ability to physically accept, display & appreciate, to any degree, a medal ( of
any type ) is diminishing at a rapid rate, as the approximate rate of death among America’s Atomic-Veteran community is now approaching 15,000 / year ……..
As one of our (
Tennessee ) N.A.A.V. members once said: “Well now, I recon we can all say that we are all charter members of the ( D.O.D. ) Guinea-Pig loser’s club”……..
Given the sadness of his comment, and the seriousness of our aging and short-lived status, I think we should all bow our heads and pray for Congress to wake up and smell the charred remains of
ground-zero, or the smoldering flesh of half-dead test animals, or view the tons of floating dead fish, in and around all of those test sites…… Does it really make you proud
???
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