Broudy, Pat, 1923-2017

Radiation survivors advocate "Pat" Broudy was born Alice Patricia Sutton in Overland, Kansas in 1923 at the home of her grandparents. She spent her formative years in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1948, she ventured with friends to San Francisco, California where she met Marine Major Charles A. Broudy. Major Broudy was attending radiological school there. After a whirlwind courtship they were married in 1949. Major Broudy had already served in WWII as a pilot in the Pacific theater. He was among the first to land in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombs were dropped. He went on to serve in the Korean War before being sent to El Toro Marine Base in Irvine, California. While there he was directed to the Nevada Test Site to witness the nuclear blasts that were being performed routinely.

From the start Pat Broudy expressed concerns about the amount of radiation exposure to which her husband and many other servicemen were subjected. This fear resurfaced when Charles Broudy passed away in 1977 from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. From 1977 on Broudy dedicated her life to raising awareness about atomic veterans, downwinders, and their families. She worked to bring justice and compensation to the veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation during the nuclear testing period from 1946 through 1963.

Broudy served as legislative director for the National Association of Radiation Survivors (NARS) and legislative director for the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV). In these positions, she collaborated with many other organizations to call on legislators and staff of the United States House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees to recognize the injustice of ignoring the pain and suffering of atomic veterans. Her positive relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs resulted in a helpline to explain to veterans their benefits under the law. She worked closely with the staffs of Senator Alan Cranston and Senator Harry Reid to exact change in antiquated policies.

Pat Broudy passed away in California on December 31, 2017.