Sign from the Plum Brook Reactor Facility warns of radiation. (Photo: DVIDS)
7 May 2021
When Robert Celestial arrived on Lowja Island in the Marshall Islands Enewetak Atoll in 1977, he was given a shovel and gloves and told to get to work. Like his fellow troops, he waded into the muck at the bottom of an atomic bomb crater and began digging.
He was dressed in shorts. We were young soldiers. We didn t know what we were doing, Celestial told Military.com last year. So many of my friends have passed away.
Since at least 2018, Celestial has worked for passage of the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act, a bill that would recognize hundreds of veterans who participated in decontamination and containment work in Enewetak from 1977 to 1980 as atomic veterans.
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
5 May 2021
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., is aiming for a seismic move to open up care and disability to a half-century worth of veterans sickened by toxic exposure, in what could be one of the largest health care efforts on Capitol Hill in years. We cannot continue to tackle this topic one disability at a time, Takano, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said at a hearing on the matter Wednesday
. 2021 should be the year, and will be the year, we pass comprehensive legislation that meets the needs of all veterans, current and future, who are exposed to toxic substances while serving our country.
Congressmen Lou Correa (D-CA) and Peter Meijer (R-MI) reintroduced The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2021. The bipartisan and bicameral legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to perform clinical research on the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in treating veterans’ post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. An identical version of this legislation was introduced by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Additionally, the legislation has the support of the House Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano.
Rep. Lou Correa said, “With the opioid crisis raging across America, it is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that we find alternative treatments for chronic pain and service-related injuries. Throughout my district, I consistently meet veterans who depend on cannabis to manage their pain. Numerous veterans attest to the treatment benefits of medical cannabis. It’s time the V