Veterans say they were exposed to cancer-causing radiation on secret mission, claim cover-up
CHICAGO (CBS) -- You may have heard of a classified military testing facility called Area 51 – but there is also an Area 52, and some who worked there are going public about cancer and cover-ups.
Dave Crete and Mark Ely one once part of a secret mission at Area 52 – located deep in the Nevada desert. The government tested enemy fighter planes and other weapons there.
Ely, of Naperville, was sent to Area 52 with a mission to test Soviet MIG fighter planes.
"It makes me mad. It makes me incredibly mad," Ely said, "and it hurts me too - because they're supposed to have my back. I had theirs. And I want them to have mine."
Both men are now suffering illnesses, and they point to radiation exposure – because decades ago, bombs were also tested nearby.
Crete said he has seen bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and liver cancer, other tumors, lymphomas, and blood diseases.
"All kinds of cancers," he said, "and the piss off is when I found out they knew."
Crete is now going public. He runs The Invisible Enemy – a nonprofit fighting the government to acknowledge the men and women who got sick, but were denied medical benefits because the mission was secret and off the books.
"All our whereabouts for that period of time is black," said Ely.
Crete was asked what it does to him to see all the men and women who are suffering now. He held back tears as he answered.
"How many people they hurt," he said.
"There's this slogan – people say, 'Deny, deny until you die,'" added Ely. "Kind of true here."
"When guys take sick, take care of them," said Crete. "When the guys die, take care of their family."