Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™ Returns with In-Person Events this October

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™, a special recognition event to honor the sacrifices made by the tens of thousands of men and women who served our nation by helping to build its nuclear defense program.

Due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, our anniversary celebrations had to be amended these past few years and we were not able to physically come together to recognize this special day. But we are excited to announce that we are back in person in 2023 with four live events across the country.

In the days leading up to the 15^th Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™ and on the actual date itself we will host in-person recognition events in:

• North Augusta, South Carolina near the Savannah River Site on October 25th
• Santa Fe, New Mexico near the Los Alamos National Laboratory on October 26th
• Richland, Washington near the Hanford Site on October 27th
• Oliver Springs, Tennessee near the Oak Ridge Site on October 30th

During these special ceremonies, we will light candles while reciting the names of nuclear weapons and uranium workers who have recently passed, as well as host special performances by local singers and workers.

All nuclear weapons and uranium workers, along with their family members, are invited to attend. For those who don’t live near one of these events or are not able to attend in person, there is also a virtual attendance option. The ceremonies will be viewable online beginning October 30th through November 7th. All attendees (in-person and virtual) are also eligible to receive a special commemorative gift—an American-made genuine leather wallet sized to carry up to 20 cards or serve as a coin purse.

For more information about the upcoming 15^th Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™ ceremonies or to register to attend in-person or online, visit coldwarpatriots.org/ndr/.

Cold War Patriots was the first and remains, today, the largest and most active organization focused on advocating for the rights and benefits of nuclear weapons workers and uranium workers. We’ve been there for workers since the beginning to ensure that the benefits provided under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) are accessible to all sick workers and their families.

More recently, we’ve played an active role in the RECA Working Group which was responsible for helping to secure the passage of the two-year extension of RECA benefits that were originally scheduled to sunset in 2022. Cold War Patriots is the only provider of EEOICPA-sponsored home healthcare to be an active member of the RECA Working Group and has already participated in more than 30 face-to-face meetings with those political leaders with the power to make change possible. As part of this effort, last month we launched a new online resource hub here: coldwarpatriots.org/strengthening-reca/.

Unfortunately, there’s not enough attention focused on America’s ongoing efforts in nuclear defense and the work of our brave, dedicated workers who continue to help provide an effective nuclear deterrent, reducing nuclear dangers around the world. That’s why the National Day of Remembrance exists—to reflect on the significant contributions of our nuclear weapons workers, both past and present, and thank them for their service.

And thankfully we’re able to do that in person this year!