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Radiation & Veterans

By VVAW

It took a reversal of the 4th appeal to the V.A. board of Appeals before Ken Marshall of South Dakota finally forced the V.A. to admit that removal of a non-malignant tumor from his thyroid was a service-connected disability stemming from his exposure to radiation while in the Navy in 1946. It took Marshall 7 years and his battle is still going on. Civilians living on the Marshall Islands near where Marshall was exposed have been awarded lifetime medical care and $25,000 when they have exhibited thyroid problems; Marshall has been told by the V.A. he is entitled to nothing, and his disability rating has been determined to be 0.

For the National Association of Atomic Veterans Marshall's victory was a step forward; winning compensation is still being fought. NAAV is actively seeking other victims of atomic radiation exposure and has been instrumental in getting Atomic Veterans included in one of the Bills now in the U.S. Senate which would provide treatment for Agent Orange victims. The parallels between the fight of Agent Orange victims and that of Atomic Veterans are many and close; neither group has gotten any relevant cooperation from the government which was perfectly happy to use us once; both are fighting a growing struggle as more and more vets find they have been affected. And each small victory for one group is a victory for both.

For more information on the National Association of Atomic Vets, write NNAV; 1109 Franklin St, Burlington, IO 52601, or call (31) 753-6112.