There is a difference between Congressionally recognized "Atomic Veterans" and other Veterans the government has recognized as "potentially radiated" while conducting their in-service duties.
"Atomic Veterans" are statutorily limited to those who were onsite during the "admitted tests" of nuclear weapons; were occupation troops at Hiroshima and Nagasaki; or were Prionsers of War at Hiroshima or Nagasaki when those cities were bombed in August 1945. In additon some Veterans who took part in the Amchitka Island underground nuclear tests are also included in this designation.
On the other hand, hundreds of thousands of Veterans who were or could have been exposed to ionizing radiation, were enumerated in a 1993 Veterans Administration committe report. The report is titled "Radiation Risk Activities Report" by the Veterans Administation Committee on Environmental Hazards, August 1993.
This little known committee predated the currently active Veterans Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR).
This report lists 11 categories of activities and jobs that may have resulted in exposure to ionizing radiation. Most personnel in these categories were never badged so few records are available as to expsoure, or if they were badged there is doubt as to the accuracy of readings in the same manner as doubts about accuracies of readings recorded for "Atomic Veterans".
It can be said "Radiation is Radiation, is Radiation", and thus the same radiogenic diseases facing those we now know were or could have been exposed as those affecting statutory "Atomic Veterans". No amount of ionizing radiation has ever been proven to be safe.
It is important that Congress address this issue of radiation to the 11 categories, along with, and in addition to, legislation creating a single category of RADIATED VETERANS, to include but not be limited to those referred to as "Atomic Veterans".
Radiated Veterans of America has received a Draft of the section of the 1993 report defining the 11 categories that can be read by opening and downloading the Adobe Acrobat file below. Click here to download the PDF version.
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