Honoring Atomic Veterans on Memorial Day 2024

We pay tribute to all Veterans who have given their lives for our country this Memorial Day.

This year, I would like to draw attention to over half-million military veterans who served our nation between 1945 and 1992 as Atomic Veterans.

Last year, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency awarded Atomic Veterans the Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Some of the honored guests received the medal for deceased Atomic Veterans.

The front of the medal shows “ATOMIC VETERAN” in raised lettering as well as an American Eagle grasping olive branches with the atomic symbol above its head. On the back, the medal has raised lettering stating “AWARDED FOR UNIQUE SERVICE IN SUPPORT OF NUCLEAR DETERRENCE.”

Many of these half-million Atomic Veterans died because of their exposure to ionizing radiation from atomic and nuclear fallout during the atomic test era and subsequent cleanup missions.

Atomic Veterans from the test era were prohibited from discussing their involvement due to the national security secrecy of the atomic test program. But that changed in 1995 when President Clinton apologized to Atomic Veterans and lifted the veil of secrecy after the Human Radiation Experiments Report was released.

Five years before that, in 1990, the Department of Justice responded to numerous lawsuits by Atomic Veterans and their families and created the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to partially compensate Atomic Test Era Veterans for exposing them to ionizing radiation.

During the atomic test era, it was discovered health consequences from radiation exposure could take decades or more to manifest itself as cancers and other serious health challenges. Some Atomic Veterans died soon after witnessing atomic tests. Most of the deaths happened much later. Atomic Veterans are still suffering with health issues and are passing away every month.

Scientific research has found ionizing radiation can cause health challenges for Atomic Veterans as well as their descendants.

I am a 2012 co-founder of the Atomic Cleanup Mission Veterans group, a life member of NAAV, and earlier this year, was appointed as the Alabama State Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV).

One of my missions is to find as many Atomic Veterans as possible. Survivors as well as family members of Fallen Atomic Veterans are encouraged to contact me.

In addition, we encourage you to ask your federal legislators to extend the deadline of the RECA judgement. It expires 7 June 2024. The Senate bill (S.3853) was passed on 7 March 2024 and sent to the House on 8 March 2024. The House bill (H.R.4426) is still pending.

Please help United States Atomic Veterans by sharing this information with friends and family members. Let us not forget Atomic Veterans and the health consequences continuing to plague us and our families.

Girard Frank Bolton, III
Alabama State Commander, National Association of Atomic Veterans
Post Office Box 501023, Mobile, Alabama, 36605-1023
Email: [email protected]
Websites: NAAV-AL.org and AtomicCleanupVets.com