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Let’s Make National Day of Remembrance Permanent!

May 8, 2020

CWP

CWP Blog

For eleven years the United States Senate has passed a Resolution to designate October 30 as the day to remember the work performed by the brave men and women in our nuclear weapons complexes. Their important work kept America safe, not only during World War II, but through the Cold War and into the present day.

Cold War Patriots (CWP) will once again ask Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to introduce the Resolution and ask Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) to be the lead co-sponsor of the Resolution, as they have done in past years. Senators from states which have a Department of Energy facility have also co-sponsored this Resolution.

But there will be an added request – to permanently designate October 30 as the National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Program Workers.

CWP has honored these workers each year not only with ceremonies honoring the living and remembering those who have gone before but has also raised awareness to the general public regarding the dedication of these workers and issues related to these worker’s health.

In 2011, Cold War Patriots commissioned Diana Swartzwelter, a friend of CWP, to make this spectacular quilt.

It took over a year to make and was a labor of love that recognizes people who proudly served their country.

The purpose of the remembrance quilt is to:

Preserve and honor the legacy of dedicated individuals who worked in secrecy and, at times, in harm’s way to ensure the safety of our nation.
Raise awareness and celebrate the National Day of Remembrance. This day has been recognized by the United States Senate on October 30th on a yearly basis.
Share a unique perspective on the compelling history of the United States nuclear defense effort and one of the most transformative events in our nation’s history.

It was an honor for all CWP members for this quilt to hang in the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Labor’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This one-of-a-kind Remembrance Quilt also travels the country, bringing awareness to the men and women who helped build our nation’s nuclear arsenal.

For the tenth National Day of Remembrance in 2018, CWP enlisted former Department of Energy Secretaries Bill Richardson and Donald Hodel’s to honor the workers. Secretary Hodel, who served during the Reagan administration, and Governor Richardson, who served during the Clinton administration, added their voices of deep appreciation, support, and recognition for the many nuclear complex workers they helped lead.

Designating October 30 permanently as a National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Program Workers will not be considered a national holiday such as Memorial Day or Veterans’ Day. Instead, it will be a day much like Flag Day – a day to honor and remember those civilians who helped protect our country.

Sign the petition to permanently designate October 30th as the National Day of Remembrance.

Sign the Petition Now