October 30 Designated as National Day of Remembrance

With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate agreed to pass Senate Resolution 560, designating October 30, 2016 as a National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Program Workers. The first National Day of Remembrance (NDR) was in 2009, when Cold War Patriots collected over 2000 signatures from former workers across the U.S. and lobbied Congress to proclaim an NDR for men and women who had worked in the nuclear weapons industry.

Since World War II, hundreds of thousands of men and women have served their country by building nuclear weapons in defense of the United States. Many of these workers paid a high price for their service, including developing disabling or fatal illnesses. Cold War Patriots believes these men and women should be nationally recognized for their contributions to keeping America safe.

For the last eight years, CWP has requested and been granted approval for a National Day of Remembrance. This past October, Cold War Patriots held nine official Cold War Patriots’ National Day of Remembrance events in South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio and Texas.

“These workers are the unsung heroes of the Cold War,” says Tim Lerew, CWP Chairperson. “They worked tirelessly with hazardous materials that we knew little about at the time. The National Day of Remembrance ensures their valuable contributions to our country are not forgotten.”