Soldiers finding out that the leaders don’t care about them at all is a story as old as civilization.

How on earth did the US survive the 50s

My grandfather was stationed in Japan to do nuclear cleanup post WWII with the Navy, later he was stationed in Korea with the Air Force. He was constantly around radiation and dangerous chemicals until he retired, and then he entered into the last war of his life which entailed fighting the VA to get the care he deserved at the end of life and ensure his family was taken care of and not burdened with mounting medical bills or debt after his death. He was an amazing man that the world lost in 2012 at the age of 85. The way we treat our Vets is despicable and they are owed the best we have to offer. Hopefully by having these men come forward we can get them the recognition they deserve.

I'm a veteran of the Enewetok Clean-up, a medic on the Dustoff team, the Body Snatchers and after 40 years of bring put off by the Government and the V.A., I and other vets that were part of the bad joke of the clean-up, still feel like we are still being studied while we are allowed to suffer and die. Had we the numbers of exposed vets of Agent Orange, some 200,000 plus, we could have received attention and some type of settlement, but we were only 4000 servicemen, without a President to notice us and Congress, which originally chose to use service people, instead of "professional radiation decom personal" to do the job, but as they cost twice as much, we were easier to use-up and leave behind. Almost as heart breaking, the Pentagon knew that by NOT LINING the sleave-like coral atomic blast crater on Runit, that the deadly radiation would wash into the sea, 24/7, which it has done for the last 40 years, making all the effort and damn hard work, the suffering, pain and isolation of myself and my brothers all for nothing, including the deaths of many, from this pointless deception of the World at Large. Poisoned Pacific waters are spreading far and wide and the done that was supposed to stay sealed 200,000 thousand years is cracked and being overwashed by storms and will eventually sink beneath the waves of our rased seas. The American Government committed a cold war, war crime against it's own loyal soldiers, sailors and airmen; just ask this President if He will follow through for the men who cleaned up 62 atomic/nuclear blasts and experiments? By the way, the army engineers that were sent to build the northern base camp, on Lojwa, where the majority of debris and construction workers lived, were told to set up their tents on concrete pads, left over from the test, which, untold to the soldiers doing the work and sleeping in the tents, while working long hours, six days a week, had thousands of pounds of very highly radioactive metals and like materials, buried beneath them. Concrete does no stop radiation from killing you softly in you beds! Don't tell us that was not on purpose or we were no test animals, the Government's actions speak to intent, despite a billion false reports and enduring lies about what they knew or knew not!

Exactly the same thing happened with troops from my country, Great Britain. Had to go and were sent to an island in the Pacific and were told to sit/stand facing the blast etc. After testing they were told they couldn’t speak to anyone, even among themselves, about what had happened. Many men ended up with terrible cancers and their children, (some born many years after), had significant birth defects. It’s only very recently that they’ve started speaking about what happened and by now many have passed away. Our country did nothing to compensate or even recognise the suffering caused by these tests. It’s shameful.

"I wish somebody would have warned me that if I had children they might be born with some defects. But nobody did." Imagine having gone through painful ramifications, and then seeing your children and grandchildren suffer as well.

This makes me so sad. I worked for a campaign where one of our big supporters was a Vietnam Vet who was in a low level station during agent orange. He called almost weekly (I don't think he had memory of calling) to invite us to events at his housing development. He also told me some stories about his time in and after the war. In the airport after getting back from deployment, someone spit on him while he was in his wheelchair trying to leave. Even though I'm not in favor of many of the wars we've entered, I still have deep respect for the men and women who fight in them. As policy makers, we need to make sure that they don't have to give their lives, and even if they do, that they have a caring country waiting for them and their fellow soldiers when they come home.

The interview with that last man is crushing.

America: We love veterans! America when veterans stand up: Shut up.

Part of my enlistment contract allowed for human testing. I joked with the guys I joined with when I read it. I also know I suffered from radiation after the nuclear breakdown in Japan when we did clean up their.

This is sickening to learn about! My deepest condolences go out to anyone who has suffered the consequences of the atomic age.

Retro Report and PBS are doing such important work - these are such fascinating and in-depth explorations of stories from our past, and told in a non-biased, factual way. Keep it up!

It is sad that these men were abandoned by the government. Congress and the Senate should do something to compensate them.

When my son starts talking about joining the military, I'm gonna show him this video.

These men were the very definition of cannon fodder.

This series is so insightful,,, yo I love history so much

This is ridiculous! Treat these Veterans with some damn respect.

"For people smart enough to become admirals and presidents"... well, one of those things no longer requires a person to be smart.

Even firefighters after 9-11 could not get compensation for lungs ruined by toxic smoke and dust, as the govt. said it had nothing to do with 9-11. They were denied lung transplants because it was just a hazard of the job. Most had lungs literally packed with toxic material.

Atomic Vets NEEDED COMPENSATION!! how dare the government deny the vets that much...

My grandfather died from his time working at the atomic testing sights.

Any exposure to atomic materials should be paid out. Because it's freaking obviously dangerous in almost all forms

Honor, Loyalty, Duty....words...actions reveal true intent. If this is how we treat our Hero's, then what must the Government feel about it's citizens?

This explains so much of the vibe in the _Fallout_ series.

That dome is almost underwater and leaks radioactive juice into the see

Good info!!

My heart breaks for them💔

I can't wrap my head around patriotism at all

My father was one of these men.

The DoD and AEC engaged in stated experiments on servicemen .The main purpose was to condition soldiers out of radiation fright ,you know that pesky morale breaker in times of atomic warfare on the battlefield. Outrageous what they did!

I am a daughter of an Atomic Veteran

*Whether The Test Were To Blame Was Nearly In Impossible To Prove, But Amongst Vets & Their Families Anger Grew* ..

I got stoned and thought this meant vets as in an animal doctor

I love how the one atomic veteran survivor spouse invited congressmen who defended the gov't to meet her at ground zero in Nevada and they balked, figures...

Watch rarely seen little movie, NIGHTBREAKER, starring Martin Sheen, and Emilio Estivez (His Other Son).

I know it was terrible to be around but to experience the actual blast of one of these bombs must have been an incredible experience.

My father worked with nuclear weapons back in 1962. We lived on Fort Carson, I think it was. For some reason they would disassemble weapons and ship components to Rocky Flats, CO. He told me about an event in Colorado where a weapon was disassembled and its high explosive section had been colored and marked as "practice" but it was in fact real. There was an officer on site that was figiting with the detonator as they were in an enclosure similar to an igloo. My father who was in charge of that particular operation in that igloo at that time had to be forceful and insist that the officer leave the detonator alone. Finally he threatened to "stop the operation" if the officer continued touching the detonator until everything was known about it. The officer complied. The detonator was real. If the officer had set the detonator it could only have been stopped by "drilling and inserting pins" if it didn't go off and kill everyone in the igloo first. Whether the active section was also in the igloo at that time I don't remember, I believe it was. He said however, that only a "point one" detonation would have occurred. Since the sections were separated. (Story 1/Several) He attributed mishaps to the shear number of weapons and weapon types at that time. He stated that he only dealt with what the Army had. Set aside the Air Force and Navy. There's no doubt in my mind that a few high ranking officers have some in their garages from that Era. As on any job...people take things home.

I agree with that guy. You would have to be crazy to volunteer for that😅

My grandfather's generation had atomic vets, my father's generation has agent orange vets, what is my generation going to have? What government and military experiment, chemical, or technology is going to kill off my generation of vets?

Geez no wonder why we all got these terminal illnesses we done effed up all from fear

5:05 what a man to withstand such blast

Grandpa died from cancer ...he was involved in the test sites

It was safe. Just like getting an X-ray. Only a little bit stronger 😅

that's was written in the past, now on Mikhail Gorbachev interview of BBC and what is UK variant compared to the words of the man straight from the heart in this pandemic era 14th of february 0830 am

Selection process for American troops: Question- Did you see any photos or information on people from Hiroshima? Desired Answer- No Selection Board- You are selected.

COMMON SENSE IS PROOF

Some of the clips were used on the 1982 cult doc The Atomic Cafe

GOD BLESS OLEARY

Has anyone every done a comparison of the rates of cancer and deformities to children and grand children of soldiers from similar infantry units that did not participate in this event. That would be much more accurate than comparisons to the general population.

The movie "Night Breaker" deals with this subject. It's on YT and worth watching. Quality of the film not the best, but it's a hard movie to find. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mZ9pgZWE19ywoZc.html

Gov: Hey, American male youth. Would you kindly fight in this war? Male Youth: Yeah, sure. Anything for my country. Gov: Then when the war is over, do you think you can participate in some test? Male Youth: Sure why not. Anything for my country. What kind of test are they? Gov: (Looks back at Atom Bomb) Just some medical test.

I would love to see a video about tap water pollution

I'm sorry but I laughed when the one guy said it will not go to the bottom of the sea and blow a hole lol

You already know what it will do

2:11 worlds first dab

War..War Never Changes

They still do testing on soldiers today especially in mental stability i noticed a buddy of mine face swelled like a melon due to a chemical imbalance due to a substance given to him from the military hospital.

Bro the amount of radiation

If I served in the army I would never volunteer to a nuke experience

Oh my god my great uncle had this obsession with Pearl Harbor and he was in the navy but had never been to Pearl Harbor I’m starting to wonder....

To everyone in uniform globe wide....I have so much respect for you all, I do understand a good soldier does as they are told...but just look at this, a country that will do this to their own people, is that country worth dying for?

Not any higher? That’s absurd.

A government that never cared about a human being, nature, earth Its all about greed, power and money

if the days were not shortened no flesh would survive but for the sake of the elect the days will be shortened, matthew 24 v 32

I think Trump and Gen. Westmorland proved that intelligence is not a job requirement for leadership positions, including president.

Used as government guinea pigs, yet still didnt get disability benefits... whats wrong with this country?

My dad was there in Eniwetok, Bikini Atoll anyone can contact me I have the papers and brochures given to the the men...My father tried to get the government to acknowledge that he had been exposed to this...........He got nothing from the government My father was a patriot, he was a Marine, an MP Army and they did him wrong

I'd prefer to make the clowns that covered it up live in hot zone.

THE DEVIL IS AT WORK HARD AT WORK

It’s so unfortunate they had to be test rats for us and against their will :(

They were dabbing 60 years before it was cool.

no, please

Sheeps...following orders blindfully.

U.S - your country is proud of your service Veteran- BS wtf has my country done for me

CIVILIANS???????

I got a small amount from the government (Clinton) a pittance I lost my father

Nuke went off and everyone said DAB!

SHAME ON THE DEVIL

Bye bye fish

US goverment makes me sick

The Russians did the same to their poor soldiers

He was blaming presidents and admirables for what he got himself into, 😂 Everything this Great County GIVES US , and people want to exploit it for Everything ithey can 😂 , why doesn't the government pay the Indians for Everything that they subjected them to. They don't even get a apology

If you know what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki why would you do this to our men

satanic

Heartbreaking 😢 These stories need to be heard louder, not stupid blockbuster Hollywood biopics 🙄