Soldier Lost Arm, Got Bill to Boot
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WASHINGTON — Spc. Robert Loria of Middletown, N.Y., lost his arm in Iraq, but instead of a farewell paycheck from the 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 at Ft. Hood, Texas, this week when Army officials said he owed money for travel expenses and for lost equipment.
Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey and Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, all Democrats, interceded on behalf of the 27-year-old veteran after his wife, Christine Loria, told the Times-Herald Record of Middletown about the problem.
“Christmas is coming up, and we are severely overdrawn because of this,” his wife said. “It turned out his getting wounded wasn’t the worst thing this year to happen -- this was.”
Clinton, Schumer and Hinchey said the Army had dropped the billing demands.
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