European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Target ships Quot were dwarfed by this atomic bomb test off the Pacific Island of Bikini in 1956. Atomic veterans a Progress in the Campaign for compensation by Joanna m. Miller los Angeles times More than 30 years after Richard a Mike Quot Jenkins watched nuclear bombs explode at close Range during military experiments his Longshot efforts to help other veterans exposed to radiation have finally begun to pay off. In May the los Angeles times published the Story of Jenkins quest to find shipmates from the Navy destroyer he was aboard during the detonation of 30 nuclear bombs in the Pacific in 1958. Jenkins had battled a baffling series illnesses himself including leukaemia before realizing his health could be connected to radiation exposure. A i want to see my shipmates get the treat ent they deserve a said Jenkins of Ventura Calif. Since then Jenkins has reached about 150 other so called Quot atomic Quot veterans and their families. Quot i got Calls from men widows and families of Guys who were at Bikini or eniwetok a and even Nagasaki Quot said Jenkins. Quot i m finding there Are a lot of things that Are common like cataracts and stomach  Jenkins and other atomic veterans also Are seeing sign readers action line mailing film Rolls can be risky # we Havo had difficulty lately with film we have mailed in for developing. The envelope has been arriving at the Developer empty and with a Large Hole in it. It looks As though it has been run through a machine and the film forced out. The first Roll was our London pictures sent in february. We attempted to Trace it through the Post office in Karlsruhe where it was mailed they had a Roll of film which we had developed. It Wasny Tours now we have someone s Gulf War pictures which we would be Happy to return. Since that loss we have been careful to Pul our names and address on each Roll of him we Send in. In spite of that we have lost two More Rolls this time it was our Paris trip. We have had no Luck tracing them. They were mailed in april so we have lost Hope that they will be returned if found. Have we just had bad Luck or is this a common that the government is giving their complaints More attention. A Bill that slightly expands eligibility and benefits for these veterans was recently signed into Law. And a More significant Bill to lengthen the list of cancers eligible for treatment by the department of veterans affairs is expected to come to a vote on the Senate floor this month. Veterans affairs has also opened a toll free hotline to help veterans like Jenkins find information about exposure and benefits. A there is a lot More positive attitude in the government Quot said Jenkins now a custom boat builder. As an unexpected Side Benefit of his Campaign to help other veterans Jenkins own Case has received extra attention from veterans affairs As Well. At 52, Jenkins has undergone Cataract surgery and suffered from liver kidney and digestive tract problems. His leukaemia is in remission. But Jenkins disability claim was denied earlier this year because he did not become ill before he was discharged from the service in 1959. Late last month a veterans affairs representative from Washington d.c., contacted Jenkins and asked him to reapply under the new Law. Problem is there any Way to further Trace the film is there any Way to find the True owners of the pictures that we now Are in Possession of it there some alternative Way of getting our film developed without paying the exorbitant prices that cafes charges Sandy Spaulding Schwet Zingen Germany Barbara Lutz postal services analyst . Army postal group he Usa eur replies we agree that getting film developed in the United states May be less expensive than it is in Europe and Many people do mail film Back to the United states to get it developed. We do get occasional complaints about missing film. Our suggestion is that people tape their name and address on the actual Roll of film which you said you did. If it became separated from the film Mailer the . Postal service should have mailed it Back to you when it was found Loose in mail equipment. Unfortunately it May not have been found or May have been swept away by a postal employee in it had fallen on the floor. As for the film you have that is not yours we suggest you Contact your Community newspaper and command a it s unheard of for the . To actually Call someone and ask them to apply Quot Jenkins said. Jenkins has not yet heard whether he will receive any benefits from the claim. He is one of 200,000 men and women who participated in 235 atomic blasts detonated after world War ii in the West Pacific and Nevada. Jenkins said that sailors on his ship the destroyer Mansfield were Given badges to measure radiation exposure and sunglasses to protect their eyes. Then they were lined up on the ship s  sometimes facing the blast and sometimes with the ships superstructure Between them and the bomb 15 to 30 Miles away. His Story of exposure to the blasts is not unique. Quot i remember the Day when they dropped the first Hydrogen bomb a said Robert Rabago a school bus Driver in Santa Paula Calif., who was aboard the amphibious Force flagship Estes in the late 1950s, a we had to turn our faces away. When we turned around there was a humongous mushroom that shot up into the air. Then we were hit by a tremendous hot  Rabago said that he had raised his forearm to shield his eyes and for two seconds after the blast could see the Bones in his Arm. Rabago 57, said he has arthritis in his Back but otherwise is in Good health so far. Quot my kids Are the ones who got the problems Quot he said. Two of his six children were born with rare Bone marrow disorders. His daughter had surgery for a deteriorating jaw Bone and a son had to have a Bone marrow transplant from his hip to his forearm. Bone marrow tutors Are among the 13 types of cancer that Are considered to be caused by or aggravated by radiation from the Post War tests under a 1988 Law sponsored by sen. Alan Cranston a Calif. That Law established benefits for the radiation exposed veterans. Before then those veterans were considered peace time military men and women and were ineligible for medical or disability benefits. New legislation sponsored by rep. Douglas Applegate a Ohio and signed into Law last month Broadens the 1988 Law. It extends the latency period for leukaemia from 30 to 40 years and expands coverage to include members of the reserves and National guard. But it hardly goes far enough said Oscar Rosen commander of the National association of atomic veterans a 4,000-member organization based in Salem mass. Quot this is just another Little Crumb they Are throwing us Quot he said. Quot the government refused to add Colon lung and skin cancer to the list which Are major causes of death for atomic  Richard Newell a los Angeles management consultant who was aboard the destroyer Harry e. Hubbard in the 1950s, said that he was disappointed with the defense nuclear Agency a department of defense Branch set up to help atomic veterans learn about their military exposures. The Agency told Newell there was no record of radiation exposure for him. Quot when i looked at the print out it was As though i was never there at All Quot he said. Quot but i know i was there and i know i had a radiation counter. Hell they marched us out on the . And told us to stand there and watch the  bulletin to see if you can find the owner. A Short description of some of the photographs could help find the owner. An alternative would be to return the pictures to the source from which received since Many individuals write the film processing company when they Don t get their pictures Back or get the wrong ones. Although it would require slightly More postage you Many want to put the film Mailer in a padded envelope to provide More Protection. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes monday september 23, 1991