27Dec03-Jeanette Steele-Anthrax protester wants the Marines to apologize
December 27, 2003
Union-Tribune file photo
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.
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.
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