We are Dying! Survivors of Enewetak Atoll - Legislation Failed - It's Becoming too late - Health

444 survivors and decreasing daily!

As we close out the year of 2016, we are saddened with the failure of Congress to approve and enact legislation regarding the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act, under house bill HR5980 and senate bill S2791.

We applaud the 107 house representatives, and the 7 senators who co-sponsored the legislation, yet this is the second Congress that failed to enact this important law.

In 1977 to 1980 over 8,000 members of the military volunteered for an assignment at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands to help with the radioactive contamination clean-up for the islands. Little did we know the extent of the danger, lack of proper protective gear, lack of adequate training, and the long-term effects of exposure to the elements of atomic testing. This debris contained iodine-131, large amounts of plutonium, iodine-129 and cesium-135, ion-radiation, and other pollutants and contaminates.

Today, some 40 years later there are only 444 service members that have been found still alive, yet suffering the long-term effects of this clean-up. Since 1996 when the classified nature of the atomic testing and clean-up was made public there is documented proof that the experts disagreed as to the long term effects to the personnel serving at Enewetak as part of the clean-up project.

Learn about Us - Veterans of Enewetak Atoll

We are dying! Slowly from the inside out. Our known survivors suffer health challenges, medical expenses and prescription costs that are not being covered by the Veterans Administration due to classification of our service as “occupational exposure” rather than “presumptive exposure” (at-risk) as the Atomic Veterans of the actual atomic testing veterans.

As of March 2016, over 58% of the surviving Enewetak Atoll veterans suffer major health challenges, with only 29% receiving adequate assistance from the Veterans Administration. Most suffer life-threatening cancer, arthritis, organ failure with no government recognition or compensation for honorable service to the government serving at Enewetak Atoll, as well as going bankrupt from lack of resources.

In the past the 113th and the 114th Congress entertained legislation to help the veterans of Enewetak but the legislation died in committee. They were challenged by the government as well as the veterans administration as not needing such protection and benefits. It appears the government is set on delaying and failing to pass proper assistance to veterans so the remaining 444 surviving veteran die off, thereby ending our fight. Our lead supporters the late Congressman Mark Takai (D-HI), and Senator Al Franken (D-MN), and Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY6)

In our society, if a public or private company exposed workers and employees to such cancer-causing radiation and debris and failed to protect, cover, and provide compensation and healthcare they would be sued, both individually and class-action to gain recompense. Yet, we, former military members are barred by law, and court actions which shield the government from such suits, thereby leaving us to die. Things must change!

We need public anger, support and outreach to push the 115th Congress to aggressively pursue changed in the law and hold accountable the government and Veterans Administration and get the remaining surviving members of the Enewetak Atoll Clean-up their due-process, healthcare parity and veterans benefits for the health and financial standing of the innocent victims of the atomic testing clean-up and given them parity with the Atomic Veterans of the 1940s, and 1950s. We are not asking for anything which is not already being provided to all the classified Atomic Veterans.

What we are seeking:

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation exposed veterans for purposes of the presumption of service-connection of certain disabilities by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Prior activity:

• H.R. 3870 114th Congress - Died with Death of Sponsor (102 co-sponsors)

• H.R 5980 114th Congress - Died in Committee (107 co-sponsors)

• S 2791 114th Congress - Died in Committee (5 co-sponsors)

Our Goal: