March 7, 2001
The father of a Marine who was discharged after refusing
the anthrax vaccine sued the military Wednesday over the distress he says the matter
caused his wife.
James N. O’Neil, the father of former Pfc. James M. O’Neil,
sued former President Clinton, former Defense Secretary William Cohen, current
Marines Commandant James Jones and former commandant Charles Krulak. He also
sued U.S. Rep. John Murtha, R-Pa.; he said that was because the congressman
ignored his letters during the dispute.
A Marine spokesman at the Pentagon who would not identify
himself and Murtha’s spokesman, Brad Clemenson, declined to comment.
The younger O’Neil, now 23, took the first three shots in
the series of anthrax vaccines, refused the last three and received an
honorable discharge in December 1999 because of his mother’s poor health. He is
now training to be a guard at the maximum-security state prison in Greensburg,
Pa.
His father, who is representing himself in the case, said
he hopes to challenge the Marines over the anthrax program before a federal
jury. He said his son didn’t know that
he filed the suit. The younger O’Neil could not be reached for comment
Wednesday by The Associated Press.
“I would like to get before a jury and ask if any of them
would be willing to volunteer for an injection, or volunteer their sons or daughters
to take these shots. Perhaps we can work that out,” the elder O’Neil said from
his home in Rochester Mills, Pa.
He said two of his son’s shots came from one batch of
medicine, lot No. FAV 036, that he says was left unrefrigerated for 20 hours.
He is asking for $533,000 to cover the medical bills for
his wife, Martha, 47, for her “fear, anguish, loss of weight, loss of hair, extreme
anxiety, panic attacks and depression.”
He said his wife is “almost 100 percent recovered” 15
months after their son’s discharge but needed therapy with a psychologist
because of her anxiety over the vaccines.
He said she feared their son would develop a fatal illness
from the medicines. Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon has said the shots
are safe and the best defense against germ warfare.
O’Neil, who described himself as a “patriot” in his
lawsuit, alleged that the military violated not only U.S. law but also the
Nuremberg Code, the doctrine applied to Nazi war criminals. It says humans should
not be subjected to experiments unwillingly.
“These boys really had no choice. They would be disobeying
a direct order if they refused these shots,” said O’Neil, a retail theft prevention
specialist and former Army policeman.
In December, military officials said they would limit
shots to personnel in the Persian Gulf to preserve supplies. Several members of
the Navy, Air Force and Army have been prosecuted for refusing the shots, and O’Neil
said he will call some of them as witnesses.
Our Anthrax information web site: http://www.dallasnw.quik.com/cyberella/
PETITION TO OVERTURN/REPEAL FERES DOCTRINE http://www.i-charity.net/ptn/80
To visit Dr. Meryl Nass’s web site, go to: http://www.anthraxvaccine.org
Also visit: http://www.MajorBates.com/ and http://www.enter.net/~jfsorg/
http://www.jamesmadisonproject.org/importantlinks.html
and
Anthrax Vaccine Network proposal http://www.anthraxvaccine.net
http://www.house.gov/reform/hearings/healthcare/00.10.03/accountability.doc
Contact list owner: Gretchen Whitney at: anna_nim@ix.netcom.com
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ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.