INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.

Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed Wendy Bjork.

The Wendy Bjork Commentaries

On a recent Price of Business show, Hosts Kevin Price and Wendy Bjork interviewed Rick Workman.

Rick is a retired Cold War–era military Nuclear Weapons Technician who now advocates for long-overdue recognition and care for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during classified weapons maintenance.

Wendy’s father, James, served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Weapons Technician aboard the USS Independence CVA 62 from 1961 to 1965, making him a living example of the silent radiation exposures many Cold War veterans experienced. Wendy is an international bestselling author, keynote speaker, and founder of HeartsOfWellness.com, where she draws on over three decades of living with MS to guide women toward holistic, grounded paths of healing and resilience and also to be a voice for her father and the thousands like him.

In this episode, Kevin, Wendy and Rick sit down to discuss what silently occurred during the Cold War. Tens of thousands of Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Nuclear Weapons Technicians maintained America’s nuclear weapons worldwide. Their work was classified, conducted in silence and secrecy. Many were forced to lie to their families and could not speak openly with their doctors. Many carried these secrets to their graves.

Live nuclear weapons continuously emit ionizing radiation through their surfaces. Ionizing radiation damages DNA, causing mutations, disease, and cell death. During routine maintenance, component replacement, transport, and storage, technicians were repeatedly exposed at close range—often daily.

They were assured by the Department of Defense that they were safe. They were not given informed consent. Their radiation exposures were rarely measured, recorded, or explained. Protective programs either did not exist or were withheld.

Today, most Nuclear Weapons Technicians still do not know the truth about their exposures. The Department of Defense cannot accurately reconstruct their doses, yet provides dose estimates to the VA that routinely conclude exposures were “safe.” As a result, the VA does not acknowledge these veterans as radiation-exposed under federal law. Correcting this requires Congressional action.

Fact sheet:

Topic: Cold War Nuclear Weapons Technicians & Unacknowledged Radiation Exposure

Who they were

Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps personnel
Maintained, repaired, transported, and stored live nuclear weapons worldwide during the Cold War
(Note: On land, ships, and submarines)
Work was classified and conducted under strict secrecy

What happened

Live nuclear weapons emit ionizing radiation continuously
Technicians worked hands-on and in close proximity—often daily—during routine tasks
They were not given informed consent
Radiation exposures were rarely measured or recorded
Protective programs were generally absent

Why this matters today

Many technicians developed cancers and other serious illnesses
Most were never told they were exposed
The VA does not recognize them as radiation-exposed veterans under federal law
Claims are denied using dose estimates that cannot be accurate because records do not exist

What fixes this

Congressional legislation recognizing occupational exposure

Bottom line

Silence protected national security—but harmed the people who carried it.

>>Before we close, I want to ask you to pause for just a moment.

You’ve just heard a story that most people never hear. Not because it isn’t real, but because for a long time, it wasn’t spoken about. Men and women like this followed orders, did their jobs, and carried responsibilities that came with risks no one explained at the time.

Listening matters. But action matters too.

If this conversation stayed with you, I encourage you to reach out to your Congressional representatives. Let them know this history deserves recognition. Ask them to support legislation that acknowledges nuclear exposure, accountability, and care for those who served.

It doesn’t have to be long or polished. A call. An email. A few sentences saying, “I heard this, and it matters.”

Stories like this don’t change things on their own. People do.

Thank you for listening. And thank you for being willing to carry this forward.

The Sound of Silence/Rick’s Social Media:

X profile: @TSOSProject Cold War-era military Veterans who secretly maintained all of DOD’s nuclear weapons worldwide, exposed to deadly radiation without our knowledge and consent.

Website: The Sound of Silence Project https://TSOSProject.com

Personal social media accounts:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorkmanRick/

A “personal” page with the hint of nuclear weapons and Stealth Fighters.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rick-workman

Rick Workman, Captain, USAF (Retired):

Founder and Chairman, The Sound of Silence Project (2022 to present)

Founder of the all-volunteer, ad hoc organization advocating for changes to Title 38, U.S. Code,

to recognize occupational exposure to ionizing radiation from live nuclear weapons, and

exposure to toxic chemicals used in the maintenance, disassembly, component replacement,

assembly, transport, and storage of all nuclear weapons under Department of Defense custody

during the Cold War period (September 2, 1945 – December 26, 1991).

Captain, United States Air Force (Retired)

Enlisted in the Air Force four months after turning seventeen, began working on live nuclear

weapons in South Korea six months later. Completed 20 years of service as an enlisted

member, non-commissioned officer (NCO), and commissioned officer.

Key Assignments and Roles:

Senior Nuclear Weapons Technical Inspector, Field Command, Defense Nuclear Agency

(a Joint-Service command)

Nuclear Weapons Technician and Nuclear Weapons Maintenance Manager
Minuteman III Operational Test Launch Program re-entry vehicle/system supervisor
Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) Maintenance, and Modification Program, Manager
Combat Weapons Aircraft Maintenance and Nuclear Weapons Load Team Officer in

Charge (OIC)

Nuclear Security (hostile conditions) and Nuclear Weapons Tactical Recovery Team

(“Nuclear SWAT”) OIC

F-117A Stealth Fighter Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, 37th TFW
Deployed F-117A Stealth Fighter Group Aircraft/Munitions Maintenance Commander,

37th Operations Group, Saudi Arabia (latter part of Desert Storm)

Munitions Manager, HQ, US Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, NV

Nuclear Weapons Technician Duties (Enlisted)

Performed operational unit and depot-level maintenance on various tactical and strategic

nuclear bombs, warheads, missiles, and re-entry vehicles. Served as re-entry vehicle/re-entry

system build manager and quality manager for Minuteman III ICBM operational test launches.

Law Enforcement and Forensic Science

Founder and Director, Forensic Crime Laboratory and Crime Scene Investigation Section,

City of Henderson, NV (2023 population: 337,000+)

Senior Crime Scene Analyst/Investigator, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Investigated/solved numerous high-profile murder, rape, and other violent crime cases
Consulted internationally, including a murder case in Rotterdam, Netherlands, upon

request from the Ministerie van Justitie, Rotterdam prosecutor’s office; provided the

solution that led to the critical/final evidence

Law Enforcement Accreditation Manager (CALEA), Henderson Police Department, NV
Trained law enforcement professionals in Mexico

Other

University Adjunct/Affiliate Instructor over 20 years (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,

Regis University, Nevada State College, others)

Wendy is a regular contributor to the PriceofBusiness.com media network and the National MS Society’s Momentum Magazine. She is consistently invited to share her expertise through interviews, panels, and podcasts, where her story and teachings continue to inspire audiences seeking hope, healing, and a fresh perspective.

Follow Wendy HeartsOfWellness.com/Social

Connect with her through social media:

Twitter/X: @bjork_ms

FB page: Wendy Bjork Hearts of Wellness

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@wendybjork

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendybjork

Instagram: @theempressofms

Pinterest: pinterest.com/EmpressofMS