Presidential Document2023-15417
National Atomic Veterans Day, 2023
Primary source
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Published
July 19, 2023
Signed
July 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 46045-46046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15417]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 137 / Wednesday, July 19, 2023 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 46045]]
Proclamation 10600 of July 14, 2023
National Atomic Veterans Day, 2023
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The dawn of the nuclear age is familiar to many--the
development of new science, but also new risks and
destruction, as witnessed by the devastation at
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But the lesser-known story is
that of the members of our Armed Forces who
participated in nuclear tests from 1945 to 1962 or were
exposed to radioactive material at home and abroad--our
courageous Atomic Veterans.
Today, we remember their service and sacrifice and
recommit to ensuring they receive the benefits and care
they deserve. Atomic Veterans bore unusual risk but
were sworn to secrecy throughout their service and
beyond, unable to discuss the nature of their
experiences and contributions. As a result, many were
unable to get care for the serious health conditions
they developed. Cancers caused by radiation exposure
often went untreated as claims for injuries and
diseases associated with Atomic Veterans' service were
denied. And although the 1996 repeal of the Nuclear
Radiation and Secrecy Agreements Act allowed Atomic
Veterans to finally tell their story and receive
benefits, thousands had already passed away without
their families knowing the full extent of their
service. To this day, many remain unaware of the
benefits now available to them through the Department
of Veterans Affairs.
Our Nation has many obligations, but we have only one
truly sacred obligation: to prepare those we send into
harm's way and care for them and their families while
they are deployed and when they return home--including
our Atomic Veterans. My Administration is making good
on this promise. I have signed laws that support
veterans who developed cancer and other medical
conditions stemming from our World War II nuclear
program. That includes the PACT Act--one of the most
significant laws in our Nation's history to help
veterans who were exposed to toxins, radiation, and
chemicals during their service access the care and
benefits they and their families deserve.
This month, let us join together to remember the
service of our Atomic Veterans. Let us recommit to
honoring the sacrifices they made for our Nation's
safety and security. And let us continue to build a
future of peace and a world free from the threat of
nuclear weapons.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 16, 2023,
as National Atomic Veterans Day. I call upon all
Americans to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities that honor our Nation's
Atomic Veterans, whose brave service and sacrifice
played an important role in the defense of our Nation.
[[Page 46046]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
eighth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2023-15417
Filed 7-18-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 19, 2023.
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