[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 83 (Friday, May 30, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5057-H5058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ATOMIC VETERANS SERVICE MEDAL ACT

  (Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan 
Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act.
  Between 1945 and 1962, about 225,000 members of our Armed Forces 
participated in hundreds of nuclear weapons tests. These GIs became 
known as the Atomic Veterans. They were placed in extremely dangerous 
areas and constantly exposed to radiation in performance of their 
duties. Sworn to secrecy, they could not even speak of their service.
  Thankfully, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush recognized 
their valiant service and acted to provide specialized care and 
compensation for their harrowing duty.
  One of my constituents, Joe Mondello from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 
is an atomic veteran, and very proud of his service to our country. 
Like me, he believes it is past time for the Defense Department to 
honor with a medal the unique service carried out by the atomic 
veterans.
  More than 75 percent of atomic veterans have passed away, never 
having received this recognition. I call on this House to act swiftly 
on the passage of this bill.

                 [From Leavenworth Times, May 8, 2009]

  Atomic Veterans Still Fighting For Recognition From U.S. Government

                          (By Belinda Larsen)

       Approximately 225,000 American servicemen participated in 
     atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1962 in 
     the U.S. and over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
       About 225,000 American servicemen participated in 
     atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1962 in 
     the U.S. and over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
       These Americans were placed in very hazardous, extremely 
     dangerous areas and were constantly exposed to the unknown 
     factors of radiation in the performance of their duties. They 
     were assigned to these duties with no formal training, 
     knowledge of the hazards and with very little or no safety 
     gear.
       They were America's atomic guinea pigs and kept away from 
     the public.
       And still today the U.S. government remains reluctant to 
     acknowledge the health problems created by the atomic 
     testing, which left the servicemen with hidden wounds--not 
     from bullets or shrapnel, but from radiation.
       ``Thousands of veterans have died while they begged for 
     medical help. The government has never admitted that 
     subjecting them to atomic radiation causes all different 
     kinds of cancer,'' said Gary Thornton of Leon, Kan., who has 
     been working hard to bring honor and remembrance to our 
     nation's forgotten veterans.
       Thornton, a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, was assigned 
     duty aboard the U.S.S. Engage, a minesweeper. Thornton, along 
     with his fellow crew members, were ``volunteered'' to 
     participate in a top-secret project.
       They were also instructed to sign a document stating that 
     whatever they ``witnessed, saw, or heard would not be 
     revealed for 20 years under the penalty of execution and/or 
     life imprisonment.'' This was called the Atomic Secrets Act 
     and no entries were made in the service jackets, medical 
     records or orders of these soldiers.
       Because of the sworn secrecy, it's as if the testing never 
     happened.
       Thornton has been telling anyone who will listen that most 
     of the Atomic Veterans have experienced severe health 
     problems, as well as their children and grandchildren.
       In order to be compensated, a veteran must be certified by 
     a VA doctor, which means the veteran must have proof of their 
     assignment or participation. Due to the Atomic Secrets Act, 
     it's impossible to attain the needed certification.
       The Atomic Secrets Act was finally lifted in 1996--not 20 
     years, but 51 years after being imposed. The veterans who 
     were left were allowed to discuss their experiences.
       ``Because so much emphasis was put on the severity of 
     breaking the 20 year imposed threat, there are older 
     survivors that are still afraid to say anything for the fear 
     of being punished,'' Thornton said. ``It's a national 
     disgrace. I just can't stand to see any more of these people 
     die without the recognition they deserve. . . . They're not 
     even mentioned in our history books.''
       The government has never researched or sought out these 
     veterans. Thousands have died from multiple cancers or 
     related illnesses and were not granted any medical 
     assistance.


                              Small steps

       In 1988, the government finally conceded to allow treatment 
     for six types of cancer, only provided that the veteran could 
     prove they were part of the atomic testing--nearly impossible 
     to do because of the secrecy act.
       The Department of Defense has instituted a program that 
     works to confirm veteran participation in U.S. atmospheric 
     nuclear tests from 1945 to 1962, and the occupation forces of 
     Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
       If the veteran is a confirmed participant of these events, 
     the Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) may provide either 
     an actual or estimated radiation dose received by the 
     veteran. The information then can be used to assist with VA 
     claims. Sadly, it takes a long time for claims to be reviewed 
     and only a few thousand have been approved.
       In the meantime, more than 75 percent of the Atomic 
     Veterans have died.


                          Seeking recognition

       In 1982, there were over 850 Atomic Veterans in Kansas. 
     Today there are only 100 left.
       In 2003, Thornton, along with fellow veteran Larry 
     Halloran, began working toward getting recognition and a 
     special medal for the Atomic Veterans.
       ``These veterans had no idea how the radiation would affect 
     them. . . . None of us knew. We were 18 and 19 years old, 
     following orders and serving our country. We're dying by the 
     thousands and still no recognition. It's a disgrace. We can't 
     let their deaths be in vain,'' Thornton said.
       The allied countries of Great Britain, New Zealand, and 
     Australia enacted the Atomic Veterans Medal Act of 2007, in 
     which a Queen-authorized special medal to honor their Atomic 
     Veterans who served with the United States, was authorized. 
     Their medals came with full monetary and medical 
     compensation.
       Still, the U.S. government remains silent.
       Because of the sacrifices made by the Atomic Veterans, the 
     U.S. has the safest nuclear generating power plants, nuclear 
     aircraft carriers and Trident submarines. Strides were also 
     made in medical technology--including x-rays, MRIs and 
     sonograms.
       Thornton also credits the nuclear test results with helping 
     to end the Korean War, ``MacArthur had three atomic bombs in 
     Korea and when Korea found out, they backed off,'' he added, 
     ``President Kennedy also had the upper hand in Cuba because 
     of the bomb.''


                             Kansas efforts

       In 2004, former state Rep. Everett Johnson, of Augusta, and 
     an Atomic Veteran who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 
     several years ago, helped get a resolution adopted to 
     recognize and honor Kansas Atomic Veterans, which led to 
     then-Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius presenting a Certificate 
     of Recognition to each known Atomic Veteran in Kansas.
       ``We couldn't have done it without Everett Johnson and 
     Governor Sebelius. . . . Kansas is the only state to do 
     this,'' Thornton said.
       A day of celebration was held in Topeka, but more than 50 
     percent of the state's Atomic Veterans were too ill or too 
     old to attend the special event.
       In 2007, the Kansas Legislature adopted resolution HCR 
     5018, introduced by Kansas Rep. Ed Trimmer, of Winfield, and 
     co-sponsored by Rep. David Crum, of Augusta, encouraging the 
     President of the United States Congress to honor our nation's 
     Atomic Veterans with a special Atomic Veterans Service Medal.
       There has been no official action or designation number for 
     the bill in Washington, but Kansas Congressman Todd Tiahrt's 
     office and other sponsors are routing the bill for 
     introduction to the House of Representatives.


                          Fundraising project

       During a legislative session last year, Trimmer and Crum 
     co-sponsored legislation to name a portion of Highway 400 in 
     honor of the Atomic Veterans. The legislation passed 
     unanimously in both the House and Senate and was signed by 
     Sebelius in April 2008.
       Trimmer led the fundraising efforts for the purchase of the 
     Kansas Department of Transportation highway signs. More than 
     $1,400 was raised through private donations.
       In a ceremony on May 22, the highway signs will be 
     revealed. Legislators, state and county officials, veterans 
     and their families will gather at 10 a.m. at the Bluestem 
     High

[[Page H5058]]

     School auditorium in Leon to honor our Country's forgotten 
     veterans.
       The new highway signs are a step in the right direction, 
     but Thornton continues his appeal for national recognition.
       ``Please help us by writing, e-mailing or calling our 
     congressmen and spreading the word to friends in other states 
     to do the same,'' he said. ``We need your help to bring these 
     treasured veterans out from the dark where our government has 
     seen fit to put them, into the sunlight with honor and 
     dignity and receive a medal. An $8 medal would be a small 
     price tag for what these Atomic Veterans--America's Forgotten 
     Veterans--have endured for 60 years.''
                                  ____


                 [From Huffington Post, Mar. 15, 2014]

                    Justice for the Atomic Veterans

                          (by Vincent Intondi)

       In 1955 the U.S. detonated a nuclear weapon. Men nearby 
     huddled in fear, praying for their lives. Some died 
     instantly. Others lost their sight or had the skin ripped off 
     their bodies. However, these were not enemies of the U.S. 
     They were Americans. From 1945 to 1963, the United States 
     conducted hundreds of nuclear weapons tests in which they 
     used thousands of GIs as human guinea pigs. The GIs, who 
     became known as the ``atomic veterans,'' were exposed to 
     nuclear fallout, and many suffered fatal diseases. For years 
     the plight of the atomic veterans and the federal 
     government's reluctance to formally acknowledge these acts 
     went largely unnoticed by the mainstream media. However, 
     beginning in the 1970s, atomic veterans, led largely by 
     African Americans Acie Byrd and James Gates, joined together 
     to demand justice.
       Acie Byrd is perhaps best known as the skipper of John F. 
     Kennedy's famed PT-109. However, following a hydrogen bomb 
     test in the Pacific, Byrd lost most light sensation in his 
     eyes from the radiation exposure. Yet, over the years, Byrd 
     managed to keep track of hundreds of victims of the nuclear 
     tests. As founder of the Atomic Veterans Association and 
     leader of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans, Byrd has often 
     been at the forefront of ensuring that the federal government 
     adequately compensates atomic veterans.
       James Gates was born in Chicago's South Side in 1935. Upon 
     returning from Korea in 1954, Gates was reassigned to Camp 
     Desert Rock, Nev. In an interview with Nancy Hogan for her 
     article ``Shielded From Liability,'' Gates explained that 
     when he arrived in Las Vegas, ``they took his identification, 
     told him he would be constructing roads and air fields, and 
     to keep quiet about what he would see.'' Then the nuclear 
     bomb tests began. Gates, only a half-mile away, was also told 
     he was in no danger. In reality, he was being used as a human 
     guinea pig. Gates saw his fellow soldiers die, carcasses of 
     dead jackrabbits scattered on the ground, and one morning he 
     awoke from unconsciousness only to find the flesh torn form 
     his left arm and leg. ``There is no reckoning it. No 
     reckoning why the government would hurt its own people. I 
     mean, I've got no teeth, no energy, no breath...I've got very 
     little left, not even hope...Some of the men were put in what 
     they called the `monkey cage.' The monkey cage was close to 
     the bomb site and the bomb killed all those men. I mean we 
     were a half-mile from each shot...Each time we'd see a bomb 
     go off they'd have a priest there... Racism has a lot to do 
     with all this, racism and the feeling that the government 
     doesn't care,'' Gates recalled.
       As the nuclear tests continued, chemist and Nobel laureate 
     Linus Pauling became convinced that the government was 
     carrying out human experimentation. Pauling contacted the 
     independent journalist Paul Jacobs and urged him to 
     investigate the Nevada Test Site (NTS). In the winter of 
     1955, Jacobs picked up a hitchhiker on the way to Las Vegas. 
     It was James Gates. The two quickly became friends, and Gates 
     provided Jacobs with documents, contracts, and private 
     meetings with others at the test site. After several years of 
     research, Jacobs exposed the atrocity in a series of stories 
     and the documentary Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang, which 
     helped bring worldwide attention to the NTS. And while Gates 
     took solace in the fact that the U.S. passed the Nuclear Test 
     Ban Treaty in 1963, he was denied military retirement and 
     service-connected disability as a result of his 
     whistleblowing.
       Like many atomic veterans, Gates began to suffer numerous 
     illnesses, struggled to sustain a career, and became 
     homeless. Beginning in the 1970s, Gates' teeth began to fall 
     out. He suffered from heart failure, a collapsed lung, and a 
     burst appendix. Even with his health declining, Gates joined 
     thousands of other atomic veterans and demanded the 
     government provide adequate medical insurance. He 
     participated in civil disobedience at the Nevada Test Site 
     and joined radiation victims in rallies and conferences 
     throughout the country. After years of activism, Gates was 
     finally granted a date for a hearing on his case before the 
     U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. He died on March 
     20, 2004--two and a half months before his scheduled 
     appearance.
       In response to the atomic veterans, on January 15, 1994, 
     President Clinton set up the Advisory Committee on Human 
     Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), which held 16 meetings from 
     1994 through 1995, at which Byrd and other atomic veterans 
     testified. Clinton went even further when, in the fall of 
     1995, he officially apologized for the treatment of atomic 
     veterans. However, the apology went unnoticed in the 
     mainstream media, since it came on the same day that the O.J. 
     Simpson verdict was announced. Perhaps 20 years later we can 
     give them the respect and honor that is so long overdue, and 
     instead of spending billions to modernize our nuclear 
     arsenal, we can eliminate them once and for all.

                          ____________________