They call themselves the 'Atomic Soldiers'. Check out the photo gallery.
In the spring of 1957, 40 young Canadian soldiers from the Queen's Own Rifles were sent to Nevada on a top secret mission. These young men did not know they would be used as guinea pigs in the most important nuclear test program of the Cold War: Operation Plumbbob.Since then they've been in engaged in a battle with the Canadian government. A battle to have them even recognized. Let alone compensated. You see, they were deliberately exposed to radiation during Operation Plumbbob. Many of them are now dead. From cancer. And many more have been diagnosed with cancer.
In February, 2007, a few days before a planned news conference on Parliament Hill and with this documentary in the works, they finally received a phone call from the Department of Defence. The then Minister of Defence wanted to meet with them. So they met. And were promised he would look into it. They had been trying to get somebody to look into it for 50 years.
On November 6, 2007, a press conference was finally held on Parliament Hill.
Do you think they have heard anything back from the former or current Minister or anybody else in power yet? The present Minister of Defence is The Honourable Peter MacKay, by the way. A Nova Scotian.
Spread the word around. That we think its long past time this matter was seriously looked into. And check out the vetrans' blog.
Cross-posted at The Flight Deck
4 comments:
You've been quite busy, I see.
Did you ever think or do much about Vet's before you found the milblogs?
That's a bit of a loaded question...
Do? No.
Think about? Certainly not as much as I do now. Although both my father and grandfather were vets and my dad was injured in WWII. But I guess the real answer is that I was 'respectful' around things like Rememberance Day, but that was about it.
At least until Canada got involved in UN peacekeeping missions. Then I was reading more about our military in the present day (although still not a whole lot) and so I tuned into the whole concept a little more. But other than that, no.
I know, a long answer to a short question...
I can't think of a thing (printable) to say.
God bless them.
d
Thanks d.
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