Anthrax protester wants an apology

[HARDCORE]

Apologize to those on Anthrax No List, below article however... is a little bit closer of a look on what this story was about.... (email message edited some by me - context of message not changed)


Anthrax protester wants an apology

Marine feels vindicated by halt to vaccinations


By Jeanette Steele
STAFF WRITER

December 27, 2003


Anthony Fusco would like the Marine Corps to say it's sorry and then some.

The Camp Pendleton Marine was demoted from corporal to lance corporal this year for initially refusing to be vaccinated for anthrax.

Now a federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon's mandatory vaccination program is illegal, and the program was temporarily halted this week.

Fusco, 23, feels he's been vindicated, and he's upset about the reduction in rank and loss of pay.

"I believe they owe me a big apology on that," the former switchboard operator said.

He was the first Camp Pendleton Marine to be charged for refusing the vaccine after mandatory vaccinations were restarted in 2002. Fusco eventually had the shot because disobeying the order could have meant a bad conduct discharge, ruining his chances for a civilian job in law enforcement.

Now, with his enlistment up this month, Fusco believes something is owed to him and other servicemen and women who were vaccinated under protest or who got criminal records for refusing.

At least one Marine in Southern California, Lance Cpl. Kevin Lotz, was convicted this year.

Fusco wants a settlement process started.

"What about (those) people who got kicked out (of the Corps) and had to go to jail?" he said. "Meanwhile, I've got the shot and now they are saying it's an experimental drug.

"What are you going to do now, give everybody their lives back? You already ruined all these people's lives," said Fusco who lives in Santa Clarita with his wife.

The Pentagon this week halted the vaccinations "until the legal situation is clarified."

Defense officials said the vaccine has been deemed safe by medical officials and is important for protecting troops against an anthrax attack.

Steve Robinson, director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, agrees with Fusco.

"The military is going to have to review whether or not they were justified in court-martialing people, fining people or forcing people out," Robinson said.

He believes the anthrax shot has made troops sick since the military first ordered it in 1991. The military later suspended and restarted the program.

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., a longtime opponent of the Pentagon's anthrax policy, this week called for such a review.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeanette Steele: (619) 718-5182; jen.steele@uniontrib.com
----- Original Message -----
To: randice@modempool.com
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: Anthony Fusco


Hey Randi, I took the shot after the government said they would drop all the charges in the case because the courts there weren't going to see my case other than I disobeyed a lawful order. I didn't want to get a dishonorable or bad conduct cause I still want to be a police officer. So I ended up taking the shot right before my trial in April and then went to kuwait for a couple of months and I am now out of the marine corps...Right after I took the shot they sent me up for an NJP in front of the I-Mef Col. and he took my rank away over this and i still got double jeopardy out of it cause i took the shot and i still got in trouble. So they lied to me. Jeanette Steele from the Union Tribune from San Diego who did the original story on me almost a year ago, did a follow up with me after they finally saw all the facts in court and shut the program down. I still got the shaft in this deal even though I'm getting an honorable discharge. When i lost my rank i lost a lot of money that i depended on for me and my wife and it adds up to over 2 thousand dollars. It was a lot of harrassment.
take care, and thanks

Anthony Fusco