For the third consecutive year, the United States Senate has unanimously approved a resolution designating October 30 as the National Day of Remembrance for former nuclear weapons program workers, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers. This day, which was first celebrated on October 30, 2009, honors the hundreds of thousands of American workers who have served our nation in building its nuclear defense and contributing to its security from World War II through the Cold War.
In 2009, to mark the inaugural event, many Department of Energy (DOE) sites held public events involving local community service organizations; worker unions; Cold War veteran organizations; and local, state, and national government dignitaries. This year, DOE has again facilitated events around the country to celebrate the day, and again the Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) staff members will be attending many of these events. We encourage the men and women of the United States to attend and participate in these events to show support for those individuals whose sacrifice helped the United States in the past, and for those who now serve our country by maintaining the national security and advancing our nation in the areas of science and technology.
As a tangible reminder of the history and accomplishments of DOE’s nuclear weapons workers, HSS will again be distributing commemorative pins for National Day of Remembrance ceremonies and events. The commemorative pins are a replica of a Manhattan Project atomic bomb pin that was originally given to workers at the end of World War II.
We believe this is a valuable opportunity to recognize our former workers, as well as the current DOE workforce. We are looking forward to attending and supporting the October 30th commemorative events, and we plan to follow up afterward with pictures and a recap on the HSS website.