An atomic veteran is a

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

who was exposed to

ionizing radiation Ionizing (ionising) radiation, including Radioactive decay, nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have enough energy per individual photon or particle to ionization, ionize atoms or molecules by detaching ...

while present in the site of a

nuclear explosion A nuclear explosion is an explosion that occurs as a result of the rapid release of energy from a high-speed nuclear reaction. The driving reaction may be nuclear fission or nuclear fusion or a multi-stage cascading combination of the two, th ...

during

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. Indian The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one of the largest active service forces in the world, with almost 1.42 million Active Standin ...

. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs defines an atomic veteran "who, as part of his or her

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

: Participated in an above-ground

nuclear test Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Bec ...

, 1945–1962; or was part of the

U.S. military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

occupation forces Military occupation, also called belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is temporary hostile control exerted by a ruling power's military apparatus over a sovereign territory that is outside of the legal boundaries of that ruling powe ...

in/around

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

before 1946; or was held as a

POW POW is "prisoner of war", a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. POW or pow may also refer to: Music * P.O.W (Bullet for My Valentine song), "P.O.W" (Bull ...

in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki (certain cases)." Atomic veterans also include service personnel from other nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, and Russia, who were similarly exposed during their active service.

United States

Recognition

On July 15, 2021, President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

issued a presidential proclamation declaring July 16, 2021, the 76th anniversary of the

Trinity test Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m. MWT (11:29:21 GMT) on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was of an implosion-design plutonium bomb, or "gadg ...

, as "National Atomic Veterans Day".

Affected veterans

The

Defense Threat Reduction Agency The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is both a defense agency and a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for countering weapons of mass destruction (WMD; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear ...

's Nuclear Test Personnel Review has maintained a database of participants and radiation dose reconstructions since 1978. Dose reconstructions are used by the

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

(VA) to evaluate and decide veterans' claims filed under the provisions of Public Law (PL) 98-542 and implementing regulations in Title 38 of the

Code of Federal Regulations In the law of the United States, the ''Code of Federal Regulations'' (''CFR'') is the codification of the general and permanent regulatory law, regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the ...

, part 3.311. John Smitherman was a Navy sailor involved in the 1946

Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll ( or ; Marshallese language, Marshallese: , , ), known as Eschscholtz Atoll between the 19th century and 1946, is a coral reef in the Marshall Islands consisting of 23 islands surrounding a central lagoon. The atoll is at the no ...

s, which resulted in extensive

radioactive contamination Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of Radioactive decay, radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is uni ...

of the area. Smitherman was diagnosed with lymphatic system cancer, underwent two leg amputations, and later became president of the National Association of Atomic Veterans. Smitherman was featured in Robert Stone's documentary film ''

Radio Bikini ''Radio Bikini'' is a 1988 American documentary film directed by Robert Stone. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988 for Best Documentary Feature. It was later aired on the PBS series ''The American Experience''. Summary The film doc ...

'', which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988. Multiple veterans unveiled first-hand accounts of above-ground nuclear tests in the short film directed by Morgan Knibbe. The veterans recall the traumatic experience of watching an atomic explosion occur only a few miles from their position. From their recounting of the story, the soldiers had no idea what they were being tested for until the bomb exploded. The group interviewed in the video was sent out in standard military gear, consisting of a utility jacket, helmet, and gas mask. These men were sworn to secrecy or suffer a $10,000 fine or 10 years in prison and suffer from a multitude of health problems that stem from ionizing radiation.

Investigation

A formal investigation of the radiation exposure these veterans received, as well as radiation experiments conducted on humans, was initiated in 1994 by former President Bill Clinton, who apologized for their treatment in 1995. "In 1996, the U.S. Congress repealed the Nuclear Radiation Secrecy Agreement Act, which rescinded the Atomic Veteran "oath-of-secrecy", thus allowing Atomic-Veterans the opportunity to recount stories of their participation in nuclear weapon testing and post-test event activities, without legal penalty. By this time, however, many thousands of Atomic Veterans, the majority of whom were afflicted with a host of radiation-induced health issues, such as cancer, had taken that "secret" with them to their graves. The remaining atomic veterans may receive special priority enrollment for

health care services The healthcare industry (also called the medical industry or health economy) is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, ...

from the VA for radiation-related conditions. In addition, atomic veterans are eligible to participate in an ionizing radiation registry examination program operated by the VA. The only copies of service and medical records for many of these veterans were lost in a fire at the National Archives in 1973. Veterans, or families of deceased veterans, whose records were lost in the fire, were denied these services and must go through an extensive reconstruction process to establish their presence during the time of atmospheric tests.

Compensation

The

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

(DOJ) has a different compensation program established by the

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act The United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a federal statute implemented in 1990, set to expire in July 2024, providing for the monetary compensation of people, including atomic veterans, who contracted cancer and a number ...

(RECA), which the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

passed on October 5, 1990, and signed into law by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

on October 15. Atomic veterans who participated in atmospheric nuclear tests may be eligible. Through RECA, atomic veterans are labelled "Onsite Participants" and can qualify for up to $75,000 in compensation. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was amended in 2013 and enlarged the geographic exposure area and the amount of compensation payable to Atomic Veterans and people living downwind of the tests. Other compensation may also be available from the United States Department of Labor under section SEC of the

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) was passed by Congress in 2000 and is designed to compensate individuals who worked in nuclear weapons production and as a result of occupational exposures contracted certa ...

. Epidemiological studies of atomic veterans have shown exposure to radiation to be associated with several disorders including leukemia, various cancers and cataracts. It has been determined that studies on the children of atomic veterans, however, face "insurmountable" difficulties.

France

A cohort of workers who were exposed during the French nuclear weapons test program at

Moruroa Atoll Moruroa (Mururoa, Mururura), also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is located about southeast of Tahiti. Administratively Moruroa Atoll i ...

from 1966 to 1996 are represented by Mururoa e Tatou. The organization has been critical of the French government's initial denial of harm and limited commitment to compensation, valued at $13.5 million. The president of the organization estimates that between 15,000 and 30,000 people worked on the test program, but the official number remains a national secret.

Australia

Australian servicemen supported British nuclear weapons test programs at

Emu Field Emu Field (also Emu Junction or simply Emu) is the site of Operation Totem, a pair of nuclear tests conducted by the British Government in South Australia during October 1953. The site was surveyed by Len Beadell in 1952. A village and ai ...

Maralinga Maralinga is a desert area around large located in the west of South Australia, within the Great Victoria Desert. The area is best known for being the location of several British nuclear tests in the 1950s. In January 1985, in recognition of ...

, the

Montebello Islands The Montebello Islands, also rendered as the Monte Bello Islands, are an archipelago of around 174 small islands, about 92 of which are named, lying north of Barrow Island (Western Australia), Barrow Island and off the Pilbara region of W ...

and

Kiritimati Kiritimati (), also known as Christmas Island, is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in Gilbertese according to its phonol ...

(then called Christmas Island) from 1952–1963. Associations representing Australian atomic veterans include the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association and the Australian Ex-Servicemen Atomic Survivors Association.

Compensation

The Clarke Review of Veterans Entitlements considered the compensation of Australian atomic veterans in 2003. Since 2010,

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...

personnel who participated in the British nuclear tests have been eligible for compensation and health care benefits for medical conditions related to their service. Widows and widowers of deceased servicemen and women are also eligible for benefits if their partner's death is related to that service. A 'reasonable hypothesis' standard of proof is applied to all claims lodged.

China

More than 100,000 Chinese troops were sent into the deserts of

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC: previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest of the country at the crossroads ...

to provide construction labor for the

Lop Nur Lop Nur or Lop Nor (, , from an Oirat Mongolic name meaning "Lop Lake", where "Lop" is a toponym of unknown origin) is a now largely dried-up salt lake formerly located within the ''Lop Depression'' in the eastern fringe of the Tarim Basin in ...

Nuclear Test Base, where China's first atomic bombs were tested. A number of these troops later developed serious medical problems.

References

External links

National Association of Atomic Veterans

Veterans Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction

Office of Public Health: Military Exposures, Radiation - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

A collection of facts and stories from Atomic Veterans relating their experiences in 1958 during Operation Hardtack 1.

Atomic Veterans records, 1947-89
a collection held by Tufts Digital Collections and Archives * * {{Internet Archive short film, id=gov.archives.arc.2569664, name=Big Picture: Atomic Battlefield
America's Atomic Vets
by Jennifer LaFleur with Reveal fro
The Center for Investigative Reporting

Atomic Vets
a short documentary by

Retro Report Retro Report is a US non-profit news organization that produces short-form documentaries for historical context of current news stories. The organization describes itself as a counterweight to the 24-hour news cycle. They have covered topics inclu ...

. Nuclear weapon safety Veterans' affairs in Australia Veterans' affairs in France Veterans' affairs in Russia Veterans' affairs in the United Kingdom Veterans' affairs in the United States

United States

Recognition

Affected veterans

Investigation

Compensation

France

Australia

Compensation

China

See also

References

External links