"Over 80 years later, Trinity's dark legacy endures in the ongoing rates of cancer and illness in nearby communities. The locals, many of whom call themselves 'downwinders,' commonly say, 'We don't ask if we're going to get cancer; we ask when.'"
"On July 16, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the Trinity test, New Mexicans gathered outside White Sands Missile Range to celebrate the installation of a new sign commemorating the state's downwinders."
"Later, the evening's mood became more solemn as downwinders invited community members to remember loved ones who had died by decorating a park with luminarias dedicated to their memory."
Lucy Benavidez Garwood, affected by the Trinity atomic bomb test in 1945, lost many family members to cancer, believed to be linked to the test. Over 80 years later, the legacy of the test persists, with high cancer rates among local communities, known as 'downwinders.' On the 80th anniversary of the test, New Mexicans commemorated the downwinders with a sign and a solemn remembrance ceremony, highlighting the ongoing impact of the bomb's fallout on their health and lives.
Read at High Country News
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