[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 58619-58620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16056]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 139 / Friday, July 19, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 58619]]

                Proclamation 10784 of July 15, 2024

                
National Atomic Veterans Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our military service members and veterans live by a 
                code of duty, putting their lives on the line to keep 
                all of us safe. Few exemplify that creed better than 
                Atomic Veterans. These former members of our Armed 
                Forces not only courageously served our country but 
                also participated in the nuclear tests done between 
                1945 and 1962 or were exposed to radioactive materials. 
                Today, we honor their service, sacrifice, and 
                dedication to our Nation and recommit to fulfilling the 
                great debt of gratitude we owe them.

                For five decades, the service members who suffered from 
                the impact of nuclear warfare here at home were forced 
                to remain silent. Many had been present for nuclear 
                testing, posted nearby as atomic bombs detonated. They 
                suffered the consequences for their entire lives, 
                including serious health problems and cancers. For 
                some, the mental scars of what they endured never fully 
                went away. Forbidden from telling anyone, they could 
                never fully disclose their past to their doctors, which 
                delayed diagnoses, while their families struggled to 
                get the benefits they were entitled to. Thousands of 
                Atomic Veterans died before telling their stories.

                I have often said that our Nation has many obligations, 
                but only one is truly sacred: to prepare those we send 
                into harm's way and care for them and their families 
                when they return. For Atomic Veterans, that began with 
                finally being able to share their stories. The 1996 
                repeal of the Nuclear Radiation and Secrecy Agreements 
                Act allowed them to tell people what they had 
                experienced so they could receive the benefits they 
                deserved from the Department of Veterans Affairs. But 
                there is still so much more to do. That is why I signed 
                the PACT Act, one of the most significant laws ever to 
                help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins 
                and other hazards, including radiation and burn pits 
                during their military service. Further, I have signed 
                laws that support individuals who developed cancer and 
                other medical conditions due to their work related to 
                the World War II nuclear program. And in 2022, the 
                Department of Defense began recognizing Atomic 
                Veterans' service and sacrifice through the Atomic 
                Veterans Commemorative Service Medal.

                Today, on behalf of a grateful Nation, we honor the 
                service of our Atomic Veterans. May we not only tell 
                the truth of their history but also build a future 
                worthy of their highest hopes for our country--one that 
                is peaceful and stable and where all veterans are cared 
                for.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 16, 2024, 
                as National Atomic Veterans Day. I call upon all 
                Americans to observe this day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities that honor our Nation's 
                Atomic Veterans, whose brave service and sacrifice 
                played an important role in the defense of our Nation.

[[Page 58620]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-16056
Filed 7-18-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P