Operation Buster/Jangle
US Atomic Veterans
David B. Fish
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001
From: "David B. Fish" abfish@teleclipse.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Re: Atmospheric Nuclear Test Series "Buster-Jangle"
Dead Men Tell No Tales
The ongoing controversy as to whether or not the United States government has kept secret the extent of nuclear fallout
from the atomic bomb tests carried out in Nevada beginning in the 1950's comes as no surprise to surviving military personnel who
participated in these tests, because they too, have been trying for years to obtain justice. These atomic veterans also feel that the
government should be held accountable for their injuries, and that medical care and compensation benefits be made available to all
radiation exposed veterans without requiring them to prove that their individual exposures to radiation were greater than the flawed
radiation dose estimates supplied to the Veterans Administration by a government contractor to deny their claims.
Individual veterans and various veterans organizations have been trying for years to have the government admit it's
responsibility in causing the early deaths and debilitating health problems many of the 250,000 military personnel involved are now
suffering due to their exposure to radiation during their military service. The devastating atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese
cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 helped convince the Japanese government to surrender and end WW II; but, even though
the U.S. government knew at the time the dangerous effects ionizing radiation had on humans, they continued testing atomic
bombs in the Pacific, and in the Nevada desert beginning in 1946.
As these atmospheric nuclear bomb tests (Atomic and hydrogen) continued into the early 1950's, the government, in
conjunction with high ranking military authorities began selecting units from all branches of the military services, ordering them to
participate in these tests. The tests were designed to expose the personnel in these military units to the awesome sight of an
atomic bomb explosion, and, to determine what, if any, psychological affect it had on the individual soldiers involved. The military
thinking during these early tests (the war in Korea was raging at the time) was, that there would probably be enough survivors in
these units following an atomic bomb attack on an enemy force to take and then hold the ground just seized. We were told there
was no danger involved, because any radiation we might be exposed to would be minimal, BUT, because we were not issued any
type of protective clothing, WE WERE subjected to radioactive particles of fallout on our clothing, exposed skin, and, to whatever
we inhaled and ingested.
The continuing plight of atomic veterans in trying to deal with the faceless bureaucrats within the Department of Defense
- (D.O.D..) and the Veterans Administration - (V.A.) has made many of them bitter against their own government. For over fifty
years, successive administrations have continued to deny that we were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, and therefore,
any illnesses we had could not have been caused by the low levels of radiation they claim we had received at these bomb tests.
Atomic veterans know otherwise, we also know, that this very same government we had sworn to uphold and defend had
intentionally lied to us, and worse yet, had used us as human guinea pigs by deliberately exposing us to radiation. We can not
believe that after having our health, and in many instances the health of our families destroyed by the insidious and deadly effects
of our exposure to ionizing radiation, we have been cast aside by an uncaring government.
Lies and deceit have long been the watch word of numerous government agencies when dealing with the veterans of this
country, and it continues to this day, i.e.: Veterans exposed to Radiation -- Veterans exposed to Agent Orange --Veterans exposed
to Mustard Gas -- and unfortunately, the latest set of veterans being denied compensation and health care benefits that are
suffering from what is now being called "Gulf War Syndrome." For too long, these same agencies have conducted study after
study of the health problems claimed by these veterans, using "scientific and medical experts employed by the U.S. Government to
reach conclusions they claim are accurate."
Unfortunately, these agencies all have the same attitude when dealing with veterans, that attitude being, 'We don't say it
because its true --- It's true because we say it'. Many veterans find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place when it
comes to dealing with their government, because the government has the power to cloak itself from having to admit any wrong
doing by invoking sovereign immunity, which translates into, The King can do no wrong, and therefore, those who do the Kings
bidding cannot be held accountable.
When the majority of the remaining atomic veteran population in this country has died, then and only then will the U.S.
Government ever consider admitting its responsiblity for having caused the deadly health problems that all to many of these
service men and women and their families are still suffering from.
Dave Fish
640 Dogwood Drive
Erin, TN - 37061
(931) 721-3847
abfish@teleclipse.net
--Keith Whittle
December 26, 2001
Operation Buster/Jangle