MP led veteran recognition campaign
Today the Government, led by the Secretary of State for Defence, is marking the 70th anniversary of Operation Hurricane, the first British test of an atomic weapon, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The Government has also announced £450,000 of funding for projects to commemorate and build understanding of the experiences of nuclear test veterans in Australasia.
Having first been alerted to the service of the nuclear test veterans by a constituent, for many years John was patron of the British Nuclear Test Veterans’ Association and helped the veterans receive official recognition from the Prime Minister, then David Cameron, for their service, along with the creation of a £25 million Aged Veterans’ Fund from which nuclear veterans and their families continue to benefit.
John said,
“I welcome the fact that the Government is building on the recognition the BNTVA won for the veterans in 2014 from David Cameron. Holding this memorial event, along with providing significant funding for commemorative projects, will be warmly received by veterans, their families and their supporters.”
“It is sad that for many decades the extraordinary service of the test veterans, many of whom were national servicemen and who directly contributed to our national security during the Cold War, went unsung, but it is good to see this wrong put right. I congratulate and thank the Government for today’s events.”
Notes to Editors:
- For more information, please see John’s press release of 2nd July 2014 (http://pressreleases.johnbaron.co.uk/archives/2381).
