Hiroshima
1945
U.S. Atomic Veterans
Wilder
William Burlison Jr.
From: "Helena J. Lee" ohjovita@bellsouth.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: another atomic vet
Dear Sir,
My father (Wilder William Burlison Jr.) was a bull dozer operator for
the Army and cleared the roads into the cities just days after the
A-bomb destroyed the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Dad never talked much about what he saw as he bulldozed through the
cities. I remember watching a documentary with him on the effects of the
bombing with actual newsfootage taken when the troups arrived. Dad did
say that they slept on the still smouldering ground and drank the
water (Dads teeth fell out several years after the exposure to the
radiation) the bodies were still smouldering and the river ran thick
with floating bodies and body parts. At that point my father became very
upset and we changed the channel and the subject. We never discussed it
again.
MY father was diagnosed with kidney cancer in October, 1984, and died 6
months later at the age of 63. Prior to his death our attempts for any
assistance was futile, the Army lost his records in the Philidelphia
fire and had no record of his ever being there or existing for that
fact. We did find an army buddy that served with my father and he
validated the fact that my father had been in both Japanese cities while
they were still hot. Unfortunately, the onset of my fathers illness and
death was a very short period of time. After the loss of my father the
governmental denial of his sacrifice and even his existance, made the
death of my father and even more tragic loss, grief, anger and the sea
of paperwork became overwhelming. All we ever wanted was the
acknowledgment of his sacrifice for his country, it was soon aparent
that we would never recieve that because acknowledgement would mean
responsibility on the part of the Army. The injustice became more than
my mother could handle and she just had to let it go. My mother has
since passed away.
The treatment by the government of the Atomic Vets who gave their
lives post war, and their families continues to be an atrosity, a grave
injustice and unfathomable to anyone other than the men and families
that have suffered through this tragic loss of a loved one.
I believe the tomb of the unknown solder should be a monument to all
the Atomic Vets who have made the ultimate sacrifice and have gone with
out recognition for so many years. They have truly been the unknown
heroes. Thats the least our government could do for our Atomic Vets.
If you would support this desire for recognition of our loved ones
please e-mail me, ohjovita@bellsouth.com. Together we can make a
difference.There is comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our
quest for acknowledgment of the post war deaths of ourloved ones.
Thank you for allowing me to tell the story of my father. Wilder
William Burlison Jr., he touched many lives and many hearts, his absence
is a great loss for many, he was a loving man with strong arms and a big
heart who gave his life for his country.
Helena J. Lee
ohjovita@bellsouth.net
--Keith Whittle
July 29, 1998