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Atomic Veterans

 

Page Contents:

  • Message from the National Association of Atomic Veterans
  • Atmospheric Atomic Tests by Name
  • America's Atomic (bomb) Veterans: "The Real Story" (COMING SOON)
  • Invitation from C.V. (Bud) Norris

Message from the National Association of Atomic Veterans:

From 1945 to 1962 there were more than 250 atmospheric (and underwater) tests of Nuclear (and thermo-nuclear) weapons, in the Pacific Ocean and at the Nevada Test Site. More than 560,000 U.S. military personnel participated in these events, and were exposed to "ionizing" radiation particles, to some degree.

These military participants are recognized (by Congress) as "Atomic-Veterans." The majority of these "Atomic-Veterans" were also veterans of the Korean War. Currently, there are only 195,000 surviving "Atomic-Vets" who may not know that their "oath-of-secrecy" related to their nuclear weapons testing duties has been lifted, thus allowing them to speak freely of their personal experiences related to any of these events. Additionally, they may be entitled to "service-connected" benefits for any illness that may have been caused by their exposure to atomic radiation particles while on active duty. There are also benefits available to spouses of deceased Atomic-Veterans.

If you think you are an A-Vet, or if you have any questions related to eligibility potentials, the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) may be of assistance in getting you the proper information to file a claim with the Veterans Administration. We may be contacted at: www.naav.com.

R. J. Ritter ( Korean War Veteran )
Managing Director & National Commander
National Association of Atomic Veterans, Inc.
Member: Veteran's Advisory Board on (radiation) Dose Reconstruction
11214 Sageland
Houston, TX 77089

The National Association of Atomic Veterans has developed a project to document the memoirs of American veterans who witnessed atomic tests. For new updates on the project visit their website (the project is ongoing) or call the national commander R.J. Ritter in Texas at 281-481-1357. The memoirs of some of the atomic veterans can also be found on the Korean War Educator website (e.g., Paul Mason).

The National Association of Atomic Veterans also has an ongoing "ATOMVET Morbidity Study" which began in 1992. NAAV maintains a computer database with the medical histories of US military veterans who participated in the atmospheric testing of atomic and nuclear weapons from 1945 through 1962 and beyond. The histories have been given voluntarily by the veterans. The study helps to pinpoint a correlation between radiation exposure and the elevated rate of disease in atomic veterans. The database includes information from over 5,500 atomic veterans.

More information about the National Association of Atomic Veterans can be obtained from:
NAAV, 11214 Sageland, Houston, TX 77089.  National Commander: R.J. Vitter, ph. 281-481-1357.  Films are available from the National Association of Atomic Veterans on most of the links above.


Atmospheric Atomic Tests by Name

According to the NAAV website, the following atmospheric atomic weapons tests (by name) have taken place in American history:


America's Atomic (bomb) Veterans: "The Real Story" (COMING SOON)


Invitation from Bud Norris

All veterans of the Korean War are invited to visit my atomic veteran website at:

http://welcomeatomicveterans.homestead.com

 

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