Nov 21, 2007 10:00 pm US/Eastern
Mt. Lebanon Soldier's Plight Grabs Headlines
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
A wounded Pittsburgh soldier's fight against the military has now become a national debate, and tonight, it is part of the race for President.
Sen. Hillary Clinton is joining the growing number of people demanding change. In a letter sent to the Secretary of Defense, Clinton said, "It shocks the conscience that the Army could demand that wounded soldiers return their enlistment bonuses."
Jordan Fox, from Mt. Lebanon, will get to keep his bonus, but for many others the battle is just beginning.
Bill Prestis, a Navy veteran, broke his knee on duty. The injury was so bad that he was medically discharged.
"The first present was they gave me a re-enlistment bonus. Second present I broke my knee and they took it back," he explained.
That was 20 years ago. Since then, including disability and severance pay, he's had to pay back the Navy nearly $20,000.
"They've been doing this for years, they'll keep doing it. The only time they do anything about it is when they get caught," Prestis said.
The Army was clearly caught in a political snafu by the Jordan Fox case that has now garnered national and even worldwide attention.
Fox, injured in Iraq, was sent home early and received a bill for nearly $3,000 - money the Army said he owed from a signing bonus.
The publicity forced the military's hand and he will not have to pay back a nickel. His case also brought new focus on an issue affecting countless other soldiers going back decades.
"It's a slap in the face. These are people who are serving bravely," Congressman Jason Altmire said.
He believes thousands of soldiers are affected and proposed legislation in October to protect all of their bonuses if they are injured.
"For this to be used as a way for the Pentagon to save money by denying injured men and women servicemen who served this country by denying them their bonuses, it's a disgrace," Altmire said.
Fox won this battle, but the real fight just started for every soldier in his predicament.
"Hopefully this will turn into change for not only me but many other soldiers that have lost limbs, you know, become permanently deaf," he said. "I hope to see a change for everybody."
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