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An American Tragedy

An American Tragedy

By Belinda Larsen

Augusta Gazette

Fri May 08, 2009,

Approximately 225,000 American servicemen participated in atmospheric nuclear tests conducted between 1945 and 1962 in the U.S. and over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

These Americans were placed in very hazardous, extremely dangerous areas and were constantly exposed to the unknown factors of radiation in the performance of their duties.  They were assigned to these duties with no formal training, knowledge of the hazards and with very little or no safety gear.

They were America’s atomic guinea pigs and kept away from the public.

And still today the U.S. government remains reluctant to acknowledge the health problems created by the atomic testing, which left the servicemen with hidden wounds — not from bullets or shrapnel, but from radiation.

“Thousands of veterans have died while they begged for medical help.  The government has never admitted that subjecting them to atomic radiation causes all different kinds of cancer,” said Gary Thornton of Leon, who has been working hard to bring honor and remembrance to our nation’s forgotten veterans…………………..

They were also instructed to sign a document stating that whatever they “witnessed, saw, or heard would not be revealed for 20 years under the penalty of execution and/or life imprisonment.” This was called the Atomic Secrets Act and no entries were made in the service jackets, medical records or orders of these soldiers.

Because of the sworn secrecy, it’s as if the testing never happened.

Thornton has been telling anyone who will listen that most of the Atomic veterans have experienced severe health problems, as well as their children and grandchildren.

An American Tragedy – Augusta, KS – Augusta Gazette

May 9, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, radiation, radioactive