An atomic veteran is a veteran who was exposed to ionizing radiation while present in the site of a nuclear explosion during their active duty. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs defines an atomic veteran "who, as part of his or her military service: Participated in an above-ground nuclear test, 1945–1962; or was part of the U.S. military occupation forces in/around Hiroshima/Nagasaki before 1946; or was held as a POW in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki (certain cases)." Atomic veterans also includes service personnel from other nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, China, and Russia who were similarly exposed during their active service. United States Recognition On July 15, 2021, President Joe Biden declared July 16, 2021 as "National Atomic Veterans Day" via presidential proclamation. Affected veterans The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Nuclear Test Personnel Review has maintained a database of participants and radiation dose reconstructions since 1978. Dose reconstructions are used by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to evaluate and decide veterans' claims filed under the provisions of Public Law (PL) 98-542 and implementing regulations in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 3.311. John Smitherman (1928-1983), was a navy sailor involved in the 1946 Bikini Atoll nuclear explosions, which resulted in extensive radioactive contamination of the area. Cancer of the lymphatic system, and two leg amputations, resulted for Smitherman, who became president of the National Association of Atomic Veterans. Smitherman featured in Robert Stone's documentary film Radio Bikini, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988. Investigation A formal investigation of the radiation exposure these veterans received, as well as radiation experiments conducted on humans, was initiated in 1994, by former President Bill Clinton, who apologized for their treatment in 1995. "In 1996, the U.S. Congress repealed the Nuclear Radiation Secrecy Agreement Act, which rescinded the Atomic Veteran “oath-of-secrecy”, thus allowing Atomic-Veterans the opportunity to recount stories of their participation in Nuclear weapon testing and post test event activities, without legal penalty. By this time, however, many thousands of Atomic Veterans, the majority of whom were afflicted with a host of radiation induced health issues, such as cancer, had taken that “secret” with them, to their graves. The remaining atomic veterans may receive special priority enrollment for health care services from VA for radiation-related conditions. In addition, atomic veterans are eligible to participate in an ionizing radiation registry examination