Posted on 12/11/2004 7:29:13 AM PST by Garvin
WASHINGTON -- Specialist Robert Loria of Middletown lost his arm in Iraq, but instead of a farewell paycheck from the U.S. Army he got a bill for nearly $1,800.
On Friday a platoon of New York lawmakers came to his rescue.
Loria found himself stuck in Fort Hood Texas this week when Army officials claimed he owed them money for travel expenses to a hospital and lost equipment.
Several lawmakers _ Rep. Maurice Hinchey and Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton _ interceded on behalf of the 27-year-old veteran after his irate wife, Christine Loria, told the Times-Herald Record of Middletown about the problem.
Loria was wounded in February. But as he was about to leave the Army this month, officials told him he had been overpaid for his time as a patient at a military hospital in the Washington area, and claimed he still owed money for travel between the hospital and Fort Hood, and $310 for items not found in his returned equipment.
Instead of a check for nearly $4,500, Loria was told he had to pay nearly $1,800.
"Christmas is coming up, and we are severely overdrawn because of this," Christine said angrily.
"It turned out his getting wounded wasn't the worst thing this year to happen _ this was," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nynewsday.com ...
The first noble thing either one of them has ever done, JMO.
She's thinking of running for President after all...
"It turned out his getting wounded wasn't the worst thing this year to happen _ this was," she said. Nice wife. She values $1800 more than his arm. |
You are so correct. Silly me for thinking for a split second that they had an ounce of humanity in them. They don't care about soldiers, or why we fight.
Shame on me, it won't happen again.
No, she doesn't. Her husband's sacrifice was honorable, but the Army's bureaucratic bungling of his discharge was cruel and downright dishonorable. The REMF officer who allowed this shameful episode to occur should be transferred to Iraq to clear booby traps.
We can say whatever we want about their motives -- and I agree with you. But the fact remains that what they did was right, and what the Army did was wrong.
"But the fact remains that what they did was right, and what the Army did was wrong."
Indeed. I love how several posters completely overlooked the fact that the Army behaved completely despicably, yet managed to trash stupid Hillary, even though she actually did the right thing, as you said.
I wonder how many potential recruits see things like this and say 'Forget it'.
Only because he was front page news and could serve their agenda.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.