Opinion: Marine punished for refusing anthrax vaccine says ‘justice prevails’ in his case – By James D. Muhammad (Military Times) / July 11 2021
I was a Marine Corps lifer who was court-martialed, faced capital punishment, busted down, tossed in the brig, publicly ridiculed and booted out — none of which should have happened — for refusing to take the anthrax vaccine.
Years later, I was exonerated. Today, I am grateful for an upgrade from a bad conduct discharge to fully honorable with rank restored and a freshly minted bronze star on my Good Conduct Medal.
My story is one where justice prevails, and armed forces leaders acted on humility and honor to resurvey past judgments.
I joined the Corps in December 1999 with the dream of becoming a military aviator. Recruited in my hometown of Washington, D.C., I boarded the bus from Baltimore for Parris Island, South Carolina. I arrived as a young 20-something, but one of the “old men” in my platoon as a chronological peer with my drill instructors.
