In August 1945, the United States ended World War II by detonating atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to the Veterans Administration using nuclear technology for medical research beginning in 1947 under Dr. George M. Lyon. By the 1950s, VA hospitals were increasingly utilizing radioisotopes for medical research and treatment, culminating in the creation of a Nuclear Medicine Service in 1966 to coordinate clinical applications. In the early 1960s, the Omaha VA hospital emerged as one of the centers of radioisotope research and diagnosis thanks to the nuclear reactor buried in its basement. Dr. Rosalyn Yalow’s pioneering work at the Bronx VA hospital earned her the Nobel Prize in 1977, cementing VA’s role as a leader in nuclear medicine.
This episode is based on Object 57 in the History of VA in 100 Objects virtual exhibit: https://department.va.gov/history/100-objects/object-57-va-nuclear-reactor/
To learn more about this object or other stories in VA history, visit our website: https://department.va.gov/history/
Author: U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
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News post in August 21, 2025, 3:06 am.
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