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Old 08-12-2003, 09:04 AM
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Default Atomic Vets

Guys -

I need some help to learn about my dad. Information about him that has been requested from his widow, my stepmother, has been asked for countless times (usually nicely) but never received... and I don't see it on the horizon.

My father served with you from 1944-46, best I can figure. He was stateside the whole time, bass drummer in military bands at West Point and Los Alamos. At Los Alamos he also drove the 9-passenger Checker limo up the old dirt road from Santa Fe (where my folks were married) to The Hill, carrying visitors between the two places. He volunteered as a conscientious objector, went to Fort Leonard Wood, then Camp Crowder (Neosho, MO, where he met my mother), then Los Alamos, then West Point, serving honorably.

His highest rank was a patch that showed a letter "T", with two stripes. I don't know what that means. What does it mean?

Dad got hooked up with an organization called, I think, "Atomic Vets". He was sent down to White Sands for that first explosion test of the Manhattan Project, and maybe some others. He went with the group because he kept having very bizarre medical problems his whole life not common in our family blood. He had two brain tumour surgeries, a couple of major gastro-intestinal catastrophies, some other serious stuff he never explained to me, and finally a triple by-pass. Only the heart trouble is expected in our family diseases.

I'm not getting anywhere asking family to share or tell me anything, am gettin' a lot older way too fast, and want to tell my own four kids about their grandfather's military service.

Can ya help me out here? Even a little something would be better than what I have. His name was Vernon Leigh Bell, so if anybody knew my dad, that would be a treasured bonus. He went on to become a Methodist minister, following what his father had done. I lost him in 1995.

Thanks, and thank YOU, so deeply, for what you did in that justifiable war. I know my dad was not a fighter, but he served and did what he could. I hope you won't hold it against me or him.
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  #2  
Old 08-12-2003, 09:28 AM
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Have you tried here ? Good luck in your quest !

http://www.naav.com/

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

NOTE : THIS QUOTE FROM BELOW SICKENS ME TO NO END. OUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ITS VETERANS AND HAS PROVED IT TIME AFTER STINKING TIME. WHY IN THE HELL DO WE HAVE TO "PROVE" ANYTHING.....WHEN THE LYING BASTARDS POISONED US IN THE FIRST PLACE ? I HAVE NO ANSWERS.. ONLY ANGER, RAGE, FEAR, FRUSTRATION, AND ACCEPTANCE THAT IT WILL NEVER, EVER CHANGE.....

Larry

>>>>>>
QUOTE

"It took seven years of Kelly's life and most of his life's savings to prove his disability to the Veterans Administration. Kelly died from lymphoma seven months after having won 100% service-connected disability in front of the Veterans Board of Appeals. The Kelly's formed NAAV to insure that other veterans exposed to radiation and their families would not have to fight the same bureaucratic battles and to establish medical research on the effects of exposure to radiation so that veterans affected by their exposure to radiation and their families could be assured of Department of Veteran Affairs service-connected benefits."

UNQUOTE

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.





The NAAV Story

Atomic Veterans include members of the United States Armed Forces who were exposed to ionizing radiation from atomic and nuclear weapons testing during the period beginning with the Trinity Blast of July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico; continuing through the U.S. clean-up of Nagasaki / Hiroshima; during the 235 atmospheric atomic and nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific and Nevada test sites; until the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963. The National Association of Atomic Veterans recognizes that civilians as well as military personnel were exp
osed to harmful nuclear material radiation, and that many of these personnel have since expired as a result of radiation induced illnesses. Accordingly, the National Board of Directors has decided to open the membership to all civilians and their families, as further described in the membership classifications listed on the "Apply Now" page. We welcome those who wish to support our organization so as to strengthen our ability to speak with one voice for those who are or were only one voice in the political wilderness of our great country.

The mission of the National Association of Atomic Veterans is to assist these veterans in obtaining government recognition and Department of Veteran Affairs health care and financial assistance.

The National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV), a non-profit, tax exempt, veterans organization, was founded in August, 1979 by the late Orville E. Kelly, and his wife, Wanda, of Burlington, Iowa.

It took seven years of Kelly's life and most of his life's savings to prove his disability to the Veterans Administration. Kelly died from lymphoma seven months after having won 100% service-connected disability in front of the Veterans Board of Appeals. The Kelly's formed NAAV to insure that other veterans exposed to radiation and their families would not have to fight the same bureaucratic battles and to establish medical research on the effects of exposure to radiation so that veterans affected by their exposure to radiation and their families could be assured of Department of Veteran Affairs service-connected benefits.

In the nearly two decades of it's existance the national headquarters has been located in Burlington, Iowa; Elden, Missouri; Independence, Missouri; Salem, Massachusetts; Ventnor City, New Jersey and Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the present time operating funds to operate the association are limited to membership dues and donations from members. No member of the board nor any of the state commanders or staff members receive compensation for their work on behalf of the association. Limited funds are expended from time to time to reimburse board members for official travel on association business.

Over 382,000 U.S. Servicemen as well as civilian personnel took part in a variety of tests during the "Cold War" period when the Atomic Energy Commission working in conjunction with the Department of Defense had troops participate in and witness the detonations at the various Pacific and Nevada Test areas. Most detonations were larger than and emitted considerably more deadly radiation than the two weapons which were employed against Japan at the end of WWII. During the tests various government agencies and departments were interested in learning about the various effects of atomic and nuclear weapons, as well as how these weapons affected the immediate performance of military personnel and equipment. Troops, ships, and various types of equipment were placed from several hundred yards to several miles from the center of each detonation. On many occasions military personnel performed maneuvers in and around ground zeros without protective clothing or respiratory devices.

Since the end of these tests in 1963, there has been no government sponsored medical surveillance of test participants, nor any effort to locate these individuals to warn them of potential health risks. Those few individuals which have been located through NAAV's efforts have been found with unusually high incidents of various types of cancer and other associated diseases and health problems with their children.



Please contribute to NAAV

Your contribution will help the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) in its efforts to bring justice, not favors, to U.S. military veterans involved in the development, testing and deployment of nuclear and thermonuclear weapons and equipment.
NAAV is an Internal Revenue Service recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (donations are tax deductible for income tax purposes) that provides members, activists, policy-makers, journalists and the public with understandable and accurate information concerning health and other issues facing atomic veterans and their families. Thank you for donating to NAAV.
National Association of Atomic Veterans
P.O. Box 11517
Chandler, AZ 85248
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Old 08-12-2003, 01:36 PM
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Thanks -
I'll follow that lead up, and hope to learn more on my other questions above... did NOT mean to bring up something upsetting to you!
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Old 08-12-2003, 04:05 PM
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Upset...Naw..been thru a war and have 2 kids....naw ...been there done that...no prob...

Larry
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Old 08-12-2003, 09:04 PM
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Me too...I got four of 'em, only one war.

know what you mean...
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Old 08-17-2003, 08:18 PM
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The "T" probably stood for "techinical."
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Old 08-18-2003, 05:14 AM
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K -
Thanks...
Could you tell me then, Larry said that "Technical" is equivalent today of "Spec".

Why is there a difference between classifications? Some army wear old fashioned plain stripes and others wear that one with the eagle under stripes. What do the Spec ratings do that is different?
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Old 08-18-2003, 11:44 AM
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Well, I guess you could think of the "Spec" - "Specialist" and the "T" = "Technical" ratings as the same. In the Vietnam era, my x-hubby was a "Spec 6" --he had specialized training to do one specific job. I believe that in WWII the "Technical" ratings also had specialized training and did a specific job. I know when I watched "Band of Brothers" there were several of the main characters with the type of patch you describe. My dad was Navy in WWII, so I don't know much about Army patches.
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Old 08-18-2003, 12:54 PM
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Thanks K -

I wonder, then, if Spec or Tech ratings simply mean "support" personnel, i.e. not infantry/artillery/cavalry?
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Old 08-18-2003, 05:29 PM
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In our era the Spec 4 replaced the Corporal. Not sure why. I only saw one Corporal the whole time I was in the Army. He was one of the staff at the Basic Training input processing facility at Ft. Campbell in June 1969.

Larry
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