Invisible Enemies of Atomic Veterans

About the Book

After suffering with indescribable horrifying health conditions from exposure to ionizing radiation for 57 years, I was driven to expose the effects of this illness and show what a total displeasure it has been to go through life while suffering by degrees from such a horrible sickness. And because America's Atomic War Veterans in general have been living with ionized radiation exposure, some of which are suffering more than others and because many thousands gave their lives to Atomic rediation, I decided to share my personal experience in the form of a book.

The bulk of the text of this book is committed to memory and recalling conversations with comrades that I served with in World War II and afterward. Some additional knowledge that I gained was from various sources of information showing the dangers of being exposed to radiation and other chemicals. The history of the Second Marine Division and the battles they fought are portrayed in official records and in Division books.

Primarily, it is my desire to express how discomforting life can be when exposed to deadly chemicals and the hardships brought upon the families of those who suffered from this exposure. Additionally, this is being written to show that most of us served willingly when called upon to protect our country, only to be forsaken by our government who foolishly ignored our pleas for help when we were suffering from Atomic fallout. We at the time were not aware of our invisilbe enemies.

Atomic Veterans are the ones referred to as the ones that glow in the dark and we are the ones who seek no special favor-simply justice. We are the ones who received little or nothing for our injuries and sacrifices while serving our country. A scant few received very little for horrid infirmities inflicted voluntarily by our inhumane category with obvious approval by the White House and other high level Government officials working against all principles of civilization, casting their devious immortalities on America's military.

About the Author

John D. Bankston, as a young Marine served proudly for six and one half years in the USMC, serving twice in the 2nd Marine Division and once in the First Marine Division. He served two years during WWII in the South Pacific and in the Occupation of Japan in the cities of Nagasaki, Sasebo, and Fukuoka during the first 2nd Marine Division tour of duty. During his tenure with the First Marine Division he served on the island of Guam in the South Pacific and as a China Marine; in his third tour of duty he served with the 2nd Marine Division for the second time during the Korean Era.

Bankston has a lifetime membership with the Marine Corps League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and is a member of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, the American Legion, and is an Honorary Member of the Korean War Veterans.

Some of the medals awarded to Ssgt. Bankston were the Good Conduct Medal-GDCOM; Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon-NMOSR; Navy Presidential Unit Citation with star-NPUC; Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal-APCM; Combat Ribbon-CAR; WWII Medal; Navy Occupation Medal; China Service Medal.

"Your Struggles are history, but not a thing of the past. It's timeless, poignanat, current, and not something to be swept under the rug or taken lightly. Semper Fi!" Kenneth F. Rogers, son of Frank M. Rogers Combat photographer WWII.