St. Louis Nuclear Workers Honored At Ceremony

My family and I attended tonights cermony and would like to Thank everyone who made this cermony so special. It was well overdue. My grandmother worked at both plants (downtown and Weldon Springs) and was there tonight, it was Great to see her get her medal. My grandfather also worked there and passed away from complications that He recieved from working with all the nuclear materials. Thanks again.

My family and I also attended tonights cermony. My mother worked at the Malinckrodt plant downtown for 3 years back in '57. She lost her life in April of 1990, she was stricken with cancer from the radation she was exposed to while she worked there. This event was long overdue! Thank you.

Is there a place to see the list of workers that were honored? My father in law lost his life due to complications from working there also.

I worked at Weldon Springs for over seven years until it closed. This event never came to my attention. How were former workers identified or contacted?

There is a place to see the list of workers, however...its a list of the people who were uranium workers at Mallinkrodt either downtown or in Weldon Springs plant. Like in our case, my mother was not a uranium worker, so her name was not listed. She was a secetary, but was still exposed to the radiation.

Rich; this was for workers who were exposed to high doses of radiation while working at the plant. Many of these workers ended up with cancer, and either died or are fighting for their lives from the exposure. The government knew they were exposing their workers to these chemicals with no percautions. If a claim was filed, or NIOSH was contacted, they have your name and or family name of person who was exposed. They are honoring these who lost their life helping make nuclear wepons, and it is long overdue! So many of the family members who are survivors were contacted to honor the nation rememberence day. It is official, signed into congress, October 30 will be from here on out the rememberence day for these workers.

Actually Margie, the ceremony was to Honor and Recognize All Nuclear Weapons Workers, here and across this Nation, including not judt production workers but also secretaries, yard men, record clerks, anyone who worked at any of the over 350 sites. Secretarys often had horrific exposure and no protection. So I would love for you to add her name to the Book of Remembrance that I have at the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center. The book sits on a podium beneath a Replica of the St. Louis Arch that I had built by the St. Louis Iron Workers Local 396.

So please feel free to go in and ask that your grandmothers name to be added.

And Rich,

when I planned this Event, I had to rely o n the press and media to get the word out. ALthough I did send out invitations to people who had contacted me or went to previous meetings I have hosted in the past. But the Event was meant for All who worked in the plant. direct employees as well as the Building & Constuction Trades, who were also exposed either by constrcution, dismanteling or cleanup. This company as well as all of the others involved in weapons production, has left one heck of a legacy. I am so very sorry that you missed the Event. Please feel free to email me and I will make sure that you recieve your medal/pin. And we need to have your full name added to the book of Remembrance.

Paula, there really isn't a list of attendees for last evenings ceremony. Although I did have index cards inside the Interpretive center for folks to list the name of the employee and which site that they worked at. Those will be added to the book of remembrance. Did you attend? Either eway, if your loved one worked there, and if you have not yet done so, please feel free to contact either myself, or the Weldon Spring staff and have that name added.

And Jeremy, I am so happy that you were able to join your grandmeother and join us in recognizing and paying honor and tribute to her. ANd you are correct, this was long overdue. I lost both of my parents. And both of them worked at Mallinckrodt.

If anyone has questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at db_dcch@hotmail.com.

STL today also has a cool write up w/a photo gallery of the Event. If you all send me your emails, I can forward it to you.

Thanks,

Denise Brock

Denise,
You efforts are amazing whithin this topic. Thank you for all of your hard work. The ceremony was awsome, and very moving. I am so glad I had a chance to take part in this event.

God's Blessings!

Margie

Thank you Denise Brock for everything you have done for these unsung heroes! My grandpa was one who recently died as a result for working in these conditions. He never complained of the conditions and I imagine would do it all over again for his country as he was a selfless person. Were it not for you and your hard work, my grandma and the people my grandpa left behind would still be paying for all of his health bills. My grandpa was Don Picker. He was a worker at Mallinkrodt(sp?). Thanks again on behalf of all of my family!-Grant