“ I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning,
but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
but I think I must have been changed several times since then.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT
mY EXPERIENCE of filing the RECA claim and all these revelations as a result turned out to be an amazing adventure and well worth the time, tenacity and paperwork. I learned more about The Chief in the process and discovered new meanings behind certain life altering events and the influencers in my life. If you think you are entitled, I highly suggest you step into the process. You never know what rabbit hole it might take you down.
RECA Claim Forms
950 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 In 1990, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). It compensates eligible uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters (or their families) in the amount of $100,000, who developed certain diseases following their employment. To be eligible for compensation, the uranium worker must have developed one of these specified diseases: lung cancer; fibrosis of the lung; pulmonary fibrosis; cor pulmonale related to fibrosis of the lung; silicosis; pneumoconiosis; and in the case of millers and ore transporters, renal cancer or chronic renal disease.
To find out if you are eligible for compensation, to request a claim form, or if you have other questions about this program, call the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Program, toll-free, at the Department of Justice or visit their Web site address. |
1–800–729–RECP (7237)
www.usdoj.gov/civil You can also write to the U.S. Department of Justice at: Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Program U.S. Department of Justice P.O. Box 146, Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044-0146 For information from the Navajo Nation, contact: Office of Navajo Uranium Workers: P.O. Box 1890 Shiprock, NM 87420 505–368–1260 RECA Justification 2014 President's RECA Trust Fund Read or download a printable version of the 2014 Trust Fund budget. |
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Justice for Atomic VerteransSource Article in The Huffington Post > By Vincent Intondi - Updated: 03/15/2014 5:59 am EDT
In 1955 the U.S. detonated a nuclear weapon. Men nearby huddled in fear, praying for their lives. Some died instantly. Others lost their sight or had the skin ripped off their bodies. However, these were not enemies of the U.S. They were Americans. From 1945 to 1963, the United States conducted hundreds of nuclear weapons tests in which they used thousands of GIs as human guinea pigs. The GIs, who became known as the "atomic veterans," were exposed to nuclear fallout, and many suffered fatal diseases. For years the plight of the atomic veterans and the federal government's reluctance to formally acknowledge these acts went largely unnoticed by the mainstream media. However, beginning in the 1970s, atomic veterans, led largely by African Americans Acie Byrd and James Gates, joined together to demand justice. Acie Byrd is perhaps best known as the skipper of John F. Kennedy's famed PT-109. However, following a hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific, Byrd lost most light sensation in his eyes from the radiation exposure. Yet, over the years, Byrd managed to keep track of hundreds of victims of the nuclear tests. As founder of the Atomic Veterans Association and leader of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans, Byrd has often been at the forefront of ensuring that the federal government adequately compensates atomic veterans. James Gates was born in Chicago's South Side in 1935. Upon returning from Korea in 1954, Gates was reassigned to Camp Desert Rock, Nev. In an interview with Nancy Hogan for her article "Shielded From Liability," Gates explained that when he arrived in Las Vegas, "they took his identification, told him he would be constructing roads and air fields, and to keep quiet about what he would see." Then the nuclear bomb tests began. Gates, only a half-mile away, was also told he was in no danger. In reality, he was being used as a human guinea pig. Gates saw his fellow soldiers die, carcasses of dead jackrabbits scattered on the ground, and one morning he awoke from unconsciousness only to find the flesh torn form his left arm and leg. "There is no reckoning it. No reckoning why the government would hurt its own people. I mean, I've got no teeth, no energy, no breath...I've got very little left, not even hope... Some of the men were put in what they called the 'monkey cage.' The monkey cage was close to the bomb site and the bomb killed all those men. I mean we were a half-mile from each shot... Each time we'd see a bomb go off they'd have a priest there... Racism has a lot to do with all this, racism and the feeling that the government doesn't care," Gates recalled. As the nuclear tests continued, chemist and Nobel laureate Linus Pauling became convinced that the government was carrying out human experimentation. Pauling contacted the independent journalist Paul Jacobs and urged him to investigate the Nevada Test Site (NTS). In the winter of 1955, Jacobs picked up a hitchhiker on the way to Las Vegas. It was James Gates. The two quickly became friends, and Gates provided Jacobs with documents, contracts, and private meetings with others at the test site. After several years of research, Jacobs exposed the atrocity in a series of stories and the documentary Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang, which helped bring worldwide attention to the NTS. And while Gates took solace in the fact that the U.S. passed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963, he was denied military retirement and service-connected disability as a result of his whistleblowing. Like many atomic veterans, Gates began to suffer numerous illnesses, struggled to sustain a career, and became homeless. Beginning in the 1970s, Gates' teeth began to fall out. He suffered from heart failure, a collapsed lung, and a burst appendix. Even with his health declining, Gates joined thousands of other atomic veterans and demanded the government provide adequate medical insurance. He participated in civil disobedience at the Nevada Test Site and joined radiation victims in rallies and conferences throughout the country. After years of activism, Gates was finally granted a date for a hearing on his case before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. He died on March 20, 2004 -- two and a half months before his scheduled appearance. In response to the atomic veterans, on January 15, 1994, President Clinton set up the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), which held 16 meetings from 1994 through 1995, at which Byrd and other atomic veterans testified. Clinton went even further when, in the fall of 1995, he officially apologized for the treatment of atomic veterans. However, the apology went unnoticed in the mainstream media, since it came on the same day that the O.J. Simpson verdict was announced. Perhaps 20 years later we can give them the respect and honor that is so long overdue, and instead of spending billions to modernize our nuclear arsenal, we can eliminate them once and for all. Part 2 > 11/22/2014 5:59 am EST Almost a year ago, I was attempting to organize the endless boxes of research for my book, African Americans Against the Bomb. As I was sifting through documents I rediscovered all of my files on the "atomic veterans." I wondered who else knew about this group's heroic and tragic work and thus decided to write an article discussing their plight. My initial piece explained how the U.S. used these veterans as human guinea pigs to test nuclear weapons. They were exposed to nuclear fallout and many suffered fatal diseases. For years the "atomic veterans" had been calling for respect, recognition, and compensation, with some becoming active in the antinuclear movement. In short, the "atomic veterans" were asking for justice, and with my piece I joined them in their call. This summer it appeared at least some in Congress heard their collective voice. In May, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced H.R. 4778, the "Atomic Veterans Service Medal Act." The bill would authorize the Department of Defense to award a military service medal to those who were members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to radiation a result of nuclear weapons testing. With bi-partisan support, the bill moved from the House Armed Services Committee to a Subcommittee on Military Personnel. But like many bills in Congress, now it simply waits. Upon finding out about the bill my initial thought was "it's about time our country does right by these veterans." However, I soon began to think of those "atomic veterans" who had already passed and would never receive their recognition. I thought specifically of one individual. A few weeks before McGovern introduced the bill, I received a phone call in my office. The woman explained she was a relative of Acie Byrd and he had just died. Byrd, an "atomic veteran," was featured prominently in my original piece I wrote back in January. Following a hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific, Byrd lost most light sensation in his eyes from the radiation exposure. Yet, over the years, Byrd managed to keep track of hundreds of victims of the nuclear tests. As founder of the Atomic Veterans Association and leader of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans, Byrd had often been at the forefront of ensuring that the federal government adequately compensated atomic veterans. His relative told me he had read my piece, thanked me, and hoped some day I would write a follow up about his struggle. Byrd, tragically, was not alone. The reality is that over 75 percent of the "atomic veterans" have died. Many of those who remain are in poor health. Some may only have months. Every day we are bombarded with reports about the dysfunction in Congress. Whether it is worrying about midterm elections or just the routine partisan fighting on Capitol Hill, it is quite clear that little, if anything gets done these days. But the "atomic veterans" do not have another decade to wait for Congress to act. While the economy, war, and immigration are deeply partisan, this is one issue that is not. For once, Congress can do the right thing and unify under the banner of the "atomic veterans." But time is running out. We constantly hear from both sides of the aisle about how much they care about our veterans. Now they must prove it and pass H.R. 4778. |
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