July 16 is designated as Atomic Veterans Day in honor of the veterans of the United States armed forces who, in the exercise of their duties or in the course of their service, were exposed to a radiation exposure and contamination event. The honored veterans include those who are designated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as “Atomic Veterans” for service as part of the occupation forces assigned to, or who were prisoners of war housed near, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, after the detonation of atomic bombs over those cities. The honored veterans include those who were involved in radiation exposure events, including post-test events related to nuclear weapon devices detonated underground or in shafts or whose duties involved regular use of radiation-producing equipment or processes, such as power plant technicians aboard nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, x-ray technicians, and those assigned to the Enewetak Atoll radiation cleanup projects.