Children of Atomic Veterans

SERVICE 

Although I've never worn a uniform I have served at the pleasure of the United States government since birth. There are many like me around the globe who suffer the genetic damage and medical repercussions of "human radiologic experiments" conducted by our respective country's participation in the nuclear arms race. In continuing our mostly non-voluntary service, those of us listed on our registery offer ourselves up to genetic and medical researchers so more can be learned from this voiceless group emerging from the shadows. We are a highly identifyable group to study, now able to make ourselves known and available to researchers globally. If we don't, we will miss empowering a generation or two from suffering additional unintended consequences. Children of Atomic Veteran's initiaves are intended to help this and future generations understand the global and individual genetic impacts. 

SILENCE 

The levels of secrecy imposed and the medical fallout is not restricted to the Veteran, their families have silently suffered and sacrificed as well. The genetic impacts carry on in the generations that follow the Atomic Veterans exposure(s) and without information to hand down to them, they may suffer and/or pass on life threatening cancers, deformities and genetic weaknesses to their offspring. Security Clearances each country required has silenced a generation of Cold War Veterans, along with the Veterans who were tasked to cleanup the radiated test sites, equipment and ships, when their government knew they were putting them directly in harms way. Medical research in various disciplines may be quite relevant, advances in genetic screening and editing may serve this group quite well. In the U.S. the Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Defense and military branches required 50 year Q clearances carrying very daunting punishments, including jail time. Those have all expired now, but the genetic damage of ionic irradiation exposure and the medical consequences ofgenetic damage rains down upon their generations. 

I was born into a family above top secret, and lived a life shrouded in silence and lies that bind." No longer willing to be an invisible footnote in history, with this registry we can voluntarily make ourselves available to global researchers inb an attempt to address ojr medical needs in the rapidly changing world of genetic