A Group of Heroes and Dedicated Service - Unsung Heroes: Enewetak Atomic Cleanup Veterans Seek Recognition and Justice
A Group of Heroes and Dedicated Service - Unsung Heroes: Enewetak Atomic Cleanup Veterans Seek Recognition and Justice
In the late 1970s, a group of young and courageous soldiers embarked on a mission that would mark their lives forever. Dispatched to the remote and hazardous Enewetak Atoll in the South Pacific, their task was to clean up the radioactive remnants of nuclear testing that had taken place decades earlier. These men, some as young as 17, answered the call to duty, tackling the monumental task of ridding the Marshall Islands of the radioactive aftermath from nuclear tests conducted between 1948 and 1958.
Among them was Paul Laird, a 20-year-old soldier tasked with helping to remediate the contamination caused by nuclear detonations. Thousands like Laird faced this dangerous mission, but they were woefully unprepared for the severe hazards. Laird vividly recalls begging for a dust mask during his first weeks on the island, eventually resorting to a T-shirt for protection against the radioactive dust swirling around them.
Now, at 59, Paul Laird is a three-time cancer survivor. He, along with many of his fellow veterans, believes their health issues—cancers, respiratory diseases, and other serious ailments—stem from their exposure to ionizing radiation during the cleanup mission. These men, now calling themselves the "Enewetak Atomic Cleanup Veterans," are fighting for recognition and justice.
Despite their service in highly dangerous conditions, these veterans have struggled for decades to have their sacrifices acknowledged. While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides special services to "atomic veterans" who were directly involved in nuclear tests, the Enewetak Cleanup Veterans have not been granted the same recognition. The burden falls on them to prove their radiation exposure levels in order to receive medical benefits, a nearly impossible task given the lack of protective measures and accurate records during their time on the atoll.
In an effort to right this wrong, U.S. Representative Mark Takai of Hawaii introduced the Atomic Veterans Health Care Parity Act (H.R. 3870). This one-sentence bill seeks to include the Enewetak Cleanup Veterans in the definition of "atomic veterans," thus ensuring they receive the same care and benefits. As veteran Gary Pulis explains, "That will untie the VA’s hands and allow them to treat us as atomic veterans." Pulis, now 56, has lost 43% of his lung function and suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, conditions he attributes to his time spent on Enewetak.
The veterans’ stories are filled with frustration at being treated like "guinea pigs," cleaning up highly radioactive areas without proper protection. They want the U.S. government to recognize the sacrifices they made and provide them with the medical care they desperately need. Roughly 35% of those who handled nuclear waste at Enewetak now suffer from cancer, and many others face life-altering illnesses.
These men served their country with honor, courage, and selflessness, and they continue to fight for the recognition and support they deserve. As Representative Takai poignantly remarked, "These brave service members answered the call to serve their country, and many are now suffering from illness or injury from exposure to toxic waste." The time has come for the U.S. government to act, supporting these forgotten heroes in their quest for justice and the medical care they’ve earned.
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