House Concurrent Resolution 9

Oregon Laws 2005

AN ACT

Whereas many of the nation’s veterans, including those who are residents of Oregon, were subjected to varying amounts of radiation because of the testing of atomic weapons from 1945 to 1963; and

Whereas the potential harm to these veterans was unknown at the time of the testing, resulting in the exposure of many veterans to harmful doses of radiation and causing them to suffer debilitating, degenerative diseases that affect the veterans and their descendants; and

Whereas veterans who were early test subjects were required to sign an oath of secrecy regarding their involvement in the atomic testing, preventing these veterans from informing the Veterans Health Administration of their medical problems that resulted from radiation until 1996, when these veterans were released from their oaths of secrecy; and

Whereas in 1979, the National Association of Atomic Veterans was created to locate these veterans, to honor the sacrifices they made and to help these veterans and their families in obtaining medical treatment and assistance; and

Whereas many veterans who were early test subjects were injured in the line of duty but received no medals because they were not in combat; and

Whereas the number of members in this group is rapidly decreasing because of the age of these veterans and it is most appropriate to recognize their sacrifices for this nation’s freedom; and

Whereas by engaging in a national research and education effort for atomic war veterans, the National Association of Atomic Veterans is promoting early detection of medical problems and research and documentation of the connection between radiation exposure and resultant cancer and other debilitating, degenerative diseases and genetic mutations; and

Whereas the first atomic bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:

That we, the members of the Seventy-third Legislative Assembly, designate July 16 of every year as Atomic Veterans Day and urge those veterans who participated in the United States atmospheric and underground nuclear weapons test and the United States’ occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki following World War II and those veterans who were prisoners of war in Hiroshima and Nagasaki or served in gaseous diffusion plants to contact the Oregon State Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans or the Director of Veterans’ Affairs; and be it further

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution shall be sent to the Oregon State Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans and the Director of Veterans’ Affairs.

Filed in the Office of the Secretary of State July 12, 2005

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