RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A Nevada veteran spent years of service shrouded in secrecy. To the point where you are denied access to benefits after being exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Dave Crete, a former Air Force veteran, spent much of the ’80s working at a base called the Nevada Test and Training Range, which stretches from north of Las Vegas to the outskirts of Tonopah. We can call it an Area 51 type place, but Creta says the work there was much more serious than contacting ET.

“The government carries out classified operations for the development of different weapons systems,” Creta said.

Crete’s work was so secret that, as far as the government is concerned, he and his troops do not exist.

“Because where we officially work is not there, we were never there. Therefore, we were never exposed and therefore are not eligible for our veterans benefits,” Creta said. “Let’s make them admit we were there.”

About 10 years ago, Creta used the power of Facebook to contact other veterans working at the same base and they decided to meet up. It was there that a veterinarian asked if anyone else had a tumor.

“Six of the eight kids in my backyard had tumors. I myself have between 20 and 25 tumors,” Creta said.

Realizing that this can’t be a coincidence, Creta begins to do some investigating. What he found is that not only was the base contaminated with plutonium-239 and 6 other radioactive isotopes, but the government knew about it and did nothing to prevent it from happening.

“This environmental evaluation of the valley where my base was located was done in 1975 and says that the place is contaminated with plutonium. My base was built in 1979,” Creta explained.

Now, Creta, along with other military members on the same base, are not only getting sick themselves, but also their children and partners. None of whom receive benefits due to their classified status. Creta’s eldest son was born with neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow in the nerves, brain and spinal cord. When her son was diagnosed, doctors said the chance of having that genetic mutation was 1 in 50,000.

“We were always on the ground doing exercises,” Creta recalls. “Then we discovered that the wives had cancer because we brought the contaminated soil home. It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy. When you think it can’t get any worse. “It gets worse.”

To draw people’s attention to these issues, Creta has made a short documentary that was shown at this year’s Cordillera Film Festival called ‘The Invisible Enemy’. The film shares the same name as Crete. advocacy groupof which he serves as president of the board of directors. As part of its work, Creta created a memorial page. It started last June and today it says it added name number 362 to that list. Crete, who is 59, says the average name on the list is 65. Having his own brain tumors and cysts, Crete says these diagnoses are not normal.

“We did the most amazing things and changed history. We are proud of that. People will never know what we did and they don’t need to. But people need to know what happened to us,” Creta said.

The short film is just the beginning. In addition to a full-length documentary in the works, Crete is now taking the issue to Washington with the help of Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei, to pass legislation HR 9511. That bill would officially recognize veterans exposed to hazardous chemicals while They serve in the army. Nevada Test and Training Range.

“It’s one thing to not know and learn from your mistake later. It’s another to know it and say I don’t care,” Creta said.

To this day, service members remain stationed at the Nevada Test and Training Range.

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