Anthony Windisch never fought in World War II, but the conflict inflicted "wounds" that surfaced decades later.
"I was never in the military, but I did work in the trenches of the federal government," Windisch said. "I feel I'm a veteran because I helped produce uranium that helped produce the atomic bomb that ended the war."
Windisch, 84, joined more than 500 people Saturday morning at The Columns Banquet Center in St. Charles for a ceremony honoring Cold War veterans and their families. The event came two weeks after the second annual National Day of Remembrance for American nuclear weapons workers.
Due to a perforated eardrum, the military deemed Windisch ineligible for service. Windisch, who now lives in Oakville, worked from 1945-57 as an electrician at the Mallinckrodt uranium processing plant in St. Louis, then from 1958-67 as a maintenance foreman and computer operator at the Mallinckrodt plant in Weldon Spring.
At the St. Louis plant on Destrehan Street, an ether explosion blew three walls off a building, Windisch said. Chemical drums exploded frequently, he said. Workers, misunderstanding the nature of the project, mistook these explosions for 'small atomic bombs," he said. Perceived acts of sabotage created tension and paranoia, he said.
"I consider myself to have been in a war zone," Windisch said. "We didn't know what was going on."
Windisch said he came in contact with uranium and beryllium and inhaled nitric acid fumes during multiple stages of the production process. In later years, he developed nose and throat problems. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001. Nine years later, Windisch is still fighting the cancer with chemotherapy.
Windisch is fighting another battle to receive government compensation. So far, he has received nothing, he said.
"It's been a hassle from day one," he said. "I've been getting the runaround for nine months. They say one in four of the employees have been compensated. Well, I'm one of the three."
In May 2009, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating Oct. 30 as a day honoring workers in the nation's atomic weapons program. The resolution stated the workers were exposed to radiation and toxic substances, putting them at risk without their knowledge or consent. As a result, many developed disabling or fatal illnesses.
In 2000, Congress created a compensation program for ailing workers and their families. The program has so far paid out $6.3 billion nationwide in monetary compensation and medical benefits.
Ruby Moldenhauer, 75, worked at the St. Louis Mallinckrodt plant from 1953-54. She used acids to clean metal samples, and tested metals to determine uranium content and quality.
Twenty years later, she developed breast cancer and skin cancer. The cancer would return again and again during a 30-year battle that left Moldenhauer with scars and a breast prosthesis.
But cancer is not her only battle. Receiving compensation has proven a struggle in its own right.
"It's such a battle to get any medical records, so hard to get any information at all," Moldenhauer said, who lives in Perryville with her husband of 57 years, Melvin Moldenhauer.
The pair dated when Ruby worked at Mallinckrodt. Melvin would drive 80 miles from his farm to pick up Ruby after work. Due to secrecy, she could never tell him what was happening at the plant, he said.
Melvin supported Ruby through a series of medical problems, including strokes, scoliosis and knee surgery. But Saturday at The Columns, Ruby seemed healthy and strong.
"She covers it up real well," said Melvin, 76.
Ruby said she has received some compensation, but should be eligible for more. Melvin said the process should be simpler.
"Don't give up," Melvin said. "If you are really aggressive and determined, you may be successful in getting approved for compensation."
Denise Brock organized the ceremony Saturday, paying for medals to pin on surviving nuclear workers and enlisting her children to roll and bind certificates of appreciation.
Brock, 50, is ombudsman for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH. The O'Fallon woman acts as a liaison between claimants and the government for the compensation program, helping nuclear workers and their families file claims and appeals.
"Although they were not lying in trenches, they still did their patriotic duty, working in service to their nation," Brock said.
Brock's mother, before her death on Oct. 19, 2006, became the first Missouri resident to receive compensation under the federal program. Brock's father died of cancer at age 52. Both her parents worked at the Mallinckrodt plant in St. Louis.
Brock said there were 366 affected plants across the nation. In Kansas City alone, there were 43,000 workers who could be eligible for compensation. The majority of affected workers and their families have not filed claims, she said. Many do not realize compensation is available, she said.
For more information about compensation claims or appeals, call Brock at 1-888-272-7430 or Karen Johnson at 1-888-272-2349.
