VALLEY MAN'S MILITARY CAREER OVER; DISPUTE OVER ANTHRAX VIRUS SENDS EX-MARINE HOME.

Byline: Phillip W. Browne Staff Writer

Instead of celebrating Independence Day at a Hawaii military base, a former U.S. Marine spent the holiday at his Sherman Oaks home over the weekend after being discharged for refusing to take the controversial anthrax vaccine.

Pvt. Roman J. Lezo had been one of the first Marines to face a court-martial prosecution in a small but growing armed services protest. But military officials in Kaneohe, Hawaii, instead offered him a discharge under ``other than honorable circumstances.''

``I am proud on this day for every American and I was proud to serve as a Marine, but I have no regrets about what happened,'' said Lezo, 20, who pleaded guilty last month to disobeying the order to take the shot. ``They are losing some of the best Marines over this because they are . . . taking their health as their first priority.''

Lezo was one of 14 Marines in Hawaii who refused to take the series of six shots, base officials said. More than 200 troops, who believe the drug is not properly tested and can cause long-term health problems, have chosen punishment or resignation rather than take the vaccine, according to Pentagon officials.

``He is finally out of the clutches of the Military-Industrial Complex,'' said Lezo's mother, Roberta Lezo. ``We are ecstatic to have him home.''

Rather than face six months in jail, loss of two-thirds of his pay and a dishonorable discharge with a felony on his record, Lezo opted to avoid a trial and admit guilt for disobeying an order.

But because of his discharge, he has lost all of his military benefits, including his right to the GI Bill, which would have guaranteed him $15,000 for college.

``My health was my No. 1 concern. Nobody wanted to take these shots,'' Lezo said. ``They are trying to push this shot on people and it's not right.

``It's a shame it had to come to this.''

Anthrax is a bacterium that can be used as a biological warfare agent - one of the deadliest ever developed - with a 90 percent fatality rate if left untreated.

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine in the 1970s, no long-term effects have been reported, said Virginia Stephanakis, spokeswoman for the Army Surgeon General's Office at the Pentagon. As of July 1, only 70 of the 303,000 vaccinated troops have suffered side effects, Stephanakis said.

Other Marines like Lezo have suffered greater consequences for refusing the vaccine.

Most recently, three Marines were court-martialed June 23 with two others facing charges at Twentynine Palms Ground Combat Center in the Mojave Desert.

Six Marines based at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and Camp Pendleton also are facing courts-martial for refusing to take the mandatory shots.

During his ordeal, Lezo said he was berated and sometimes threatened by military officials.

``They would tell me that I was risking the lives of the entire squad, and they warned me that if I didn't take it I would be convicted and not be able to get a job even at McDonald's,'' Lezo said.

Lezo was charged with disobeying a lawful order from a commanding officer and dereliction of duty. He also faced a charge of failure to obey an order from a noncommanding officer, which was not related to the anthrax case.

Once a lance corporal with a secret security clearance, Lezo had been demoted, given extra duties, confined to his barracks and lost half of his pay prior to his discharge.

The ex-Marine who was a helicopter mechanic is planning to enroll in college in the fall and hopes to become a commercial airline pilot. But in the meantime he is looking for work in the aeronautics industry.

``It's time to start my life over,'' he said.

And on this Independence Day, he spent the evening at a barbecue with old friends.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: Roman Lezo is back home in Sherman Oaks after being discharged from the Marines.

David R. Crane/Daily News