"In the aftermath of World War II and during the height of the Cold War – between 1946 and 1962 – the U.S. detonated more than 200 above-ground and undersea nuclear bombs."
When I was in Vietnam, there was a chemical that went by the name of Agent Orange.
Many of my brother Marines, Army and Air Force troops were exposed to this deadly agent. My only -- possible -- exposure was a sweep (a search and destroy) of an area on one of the bases I was assigned to during my tour. The trees and shrubs in that area looked burned out; defoliated; nothing was left; completely lifeless.
After the vets returned to the U.S., some of them began to have various health problems. In fact, some of those health issues were transmitted to their children. Some vets developed cancers, or other debilitating diseases. When the vets presented themselves for treatment or some type of compensation, the government, in the form of the VA (Veterans Administration), denied that Agent Orange had anything to do with their claims. This outrageous denial went on for many, many years. Finally, the horrendous effects of that deadly chemical were acknowledged, and some compensation and treatment was allowed to the suffering vets.
Now, I want to describe another incredible event...
Recently, I saw a video of British "Atomic Veterans" gathered for a reunion, their numbers quickly dwindling; many had died of cancers of various forms. Their description of what they saw and went through was almost unbelievable to anyone with a sense of justice; a sense of true patriotism.
These soldiers and sailors were exposed to, not one, but many nuclear blasts over the course of several years. Their government did not explain the threat to their health and well-being. These men were not given sufficient equipment to help protect them from the initial blast as well as from the radiation fallout that followed.
After watching this video and listening to their touching stories, I got angry, very angry. These men were used as guinea pigs, plain and simple.
I knew that American soldiers and sailors too were exposed to nuclear bomb blasts, so I decided to do a little research on the matter...
Well, the American GIs were also used as guinea pigs, but the numbers of Marines, soldiers and sailors that went through these horrendous tests, were much more numerous than the British vets. Many thousands more. And many more bomb blasts, most of which were exploded on some of the Pacific Atolls, and some under water, as well as in Nevada.
Again, their descriptions during the blasts and after, were almost too hard to believe, but true nonetheless.
As with their British allies, they were given no protection, and no information as to the dangers of being exposed to the blast as well as the aftermath and the possible detrimental side effects to their health.
If you look at those videos, you can see with your own eyes, the nuclear blasts and the troops very close to those blasts, some as close as 3,500 yards from ground zero, with no protective clothing or just simple googles for their eyes which did nothing to mitigate their eventual suffering.
These vets did what they were ordered to do. But those in government knew -- without a doubt -- what terrible effects those nuclear bombs would have on those men. This was proven when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not only killing so many thousands at once, but also the long-term effects of radiation poisoning in the form of cancers and birth defects. And yet, our government allowed their own citizen soldiers to be exposed and many eventually die from these diabolical experiments.
Please pray for these "Atomic Veterans" and their families, and pray for our country.
Gene DeLalla
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