A Poem: Enewetak Brothers and Comrades as Friends in Paradise Atomic Blast Contamination Clean-up

Enewetak Brothers and Comrades as Friends in Paradise: Atomic Blast Contamination Cleanup

By J.D. Ryder

I arrived in the sun just under 21;

I walked off the plane just as it begun to rain;

I saw the beauty of the blue oceans and the wave of the palm trees;

I worked from sun up to sun down – digging, rigging, and singing.

I made friends, some have lasted a lifetime while others faded;

I read letters, drank, and smoked with my buddy, pal, comrade;

I was part of the 8,000 who served, worked in a place called “The Rock”;

I was called a Soldier, an Airman, or a Sailor – at best an Animal, some a Lojwa Animal.

I was part of a team, a band of brothers, bonding to save humanity in the depths of hell;

I saw the horrors of wars long past, destruction from long gone carnage, still with lingering death;

I dug in dirt, exploded structures, removing long ago “hidden secrets” with every breath, burying from all to see;

I lived, worked, and played in a long ago “classified” tropical island with hidden destruction.

I served with honor, conducting my duty with courage, never seeing any enemy in combat;

I bled, sweated, and suffered for a humanitarian effort,

I came, I gave, I suffered;I saw no evil, I saw no death of a combat zone, yet I am dying, slowly, and unnoticed;

I am dying from the inside out, forgotten by my government, forgotten by my leaders.

I have seen my buddies, my friends, my band of brothers growing smaller each year;

I do not have a Purple Heart, no award for bravery, no hazard pay, no official recognition;

I suffer alone, rarely mentioned in the news, unseen by America, lost in the depths of denials;

I am stronger due to my fellow brother, stronger in faith, resolve, and commitment to live.

I am a veteran,

I am an Atomic Veteran,

I am an American,

I served with honor,

I die alone,

I am a “Lojwa Animal.

I am a Rat,

I am a brother,

I am – Yes,

I am, and in the end,

I will –Be a veteran, a patriot, a member of a family, a member of a team, and a brother of the Enewetak 8,000 Forever.