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Atomic Secrets Equal Illness and Death for 300,000
By Thomas D. Segel
July 14, 2003

There are those who claim 300,000 American service personnel were doomed to serious illness or early death by the atomic testing between 1945 and the signing of the Atomic Test Ban Treaty in 1963. There are others who say the reported numbers are an arbitrarily low figure. Regardless of what numbers are correct, we still know thousands upon thousands of Americans were carelessly exposed to radiation, thus assuring they would face serious illness and death in numbers so large it is impossible to estimate.

Between the Trinity Test in New Mexico and the final cessation of testing there were at least 235 atmospheric atomic and thermonuclear tests held in the South Pacific and the Nevada Test Site. There were also two tactical atomic explosions in Japan in 1945.

According to Terry T. Brady, Alaska State Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV), "In most cases such as soldiers and marines, they were put unprotected into trenches close to atomic explosions. In Nevada and elsewhere, airmen were required to fly through rising mushroom clouds filled with radioactive material. Sailors on ships at the time of tests or on cleanup duty after the tests were given no special protection. Also there were thousands of American POWs in Japan who were exposed to radiation at the time of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. There were Americans by the thousands who were among the occupation forces who were required to clean up the devastated Japanese cities. None were informed of the dangers they faced and were released from military service without knowing they had been exposed to serious radiation. What is even worse, there were not even any programs established to monitor the health of those Americans who had been contaminated by any of the atomic explosions."

It must be noted that the super secret atomic projects also created a situation where veterans of those tests and tactical explosions could not even tell people they had been involved and exposed to radiation. All were charged with a federal oath of secrecy. It was not until 1996 that the United States government partially released veterans from their "Oaths". Even that release was conditional. It was only to the extent of seeking medical help by acknowledging they were at nuclear sites.

"This small effort on the part of our government has failed to help those who officials say were 'not there' when the tests were conducted", says Brady.

Many service records were lost or misplaced over the years. In an untold number of cases military personnel were sent to participate in the tests, but records were not kept which documented that participation. This was especially true for those given "Q" clearances, which were a very top-secret designation. These people had records, which were either purged or intentionally left blank showing no indication in either their service records or discharge documents that they had ever been involved in the atomic testing program.

The "Q" clearances were given only to those personnel who were detailed to work closely with nuclear materials. These servicemen were rarely told of the inherent dangers they faced and were not even provided the protective clothing and film badges that civilian contractors routinely wore when working with the same materials.

Some years ago Congress was pressured enough by the NAAV and sympathetic experts to allow a number of cancers to be considered presumably caused by radiation. It also established a program to award those exposed and close survivors some compensation. This still does not face the problem squarely. Those with missing records or non-entry of atomic test participation in their records can still not receive the help they need.

Leo Mock, BM2, United States Navy, was one of the many who never received help. He started dying at Eniwetok in the Pacific Ocean during the atomic testing or Operation Greenhouse. It took forty years for this sailor to pass on to his final reward. When he died on December 11, 2001 Leo Mock had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, liver cancer and the cause of his death.....lung cancer. During all those years he fought to receive medical disability compensation and treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Forty years..and he was still waiting on his claim at the time of his death.

Stories such as Leo Mock's can be recounted in the hundreds. These atomic veterans deserve more than this shabby treatment from the elected officials and bureaucrats of American. In forty years they couldn't figure out how to help one sick veteran. But, it took them only a few weeks to pass legislation which makes sure the entire body of Congress and several hundred thousand federal employees will not get reduced benefits when changes are made to the Medicare program.

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Thomas D. Segel, a retired Marine journalist, served 26 years in a variety of assignments, including the war in Korea and two tours of duty in Vietnam. He is a twice-wounded former combat correspondent who holds eight personal decorations for valor and meritorious service. Winner of the Thomas Jefferson Award for journalistic excellence, he is also author of several books, including "Men in Space", which was placed on both the national high school and junior high school library lists. Segel received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas - Pan American and his graduate degree from Vanderbilt University. During his years as an educator he taught Government and Economics. He is a past National President of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association. Readers may contact Segel at