When Army Spc. Casey Mayor was recovering in a hospital in 2006 after surviving an explosion in Iraq, he began researching what kinds of education benefits were available to wounded veterans.

He discovered that in 2004 the Utah Legislature passed a bill by Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, that created a tuition waiver for Purple Heart recipients going to college as an undergraduate.

That benefit means he can save his GI Bill, one reason he joined the military, to help pay for any postgraduate studies he might pursue. He plans to earn a degree in business management or pharmacological studies.

"It's in your hands whether you're going to take advantage of these benefits or not," Mayor said. "Unfortunately, a lot of people don't — they're lazy."

As soon as Mayor is released from the Army's "medical hold" program, he plans to continue his general studies at Salt Lake Community College. He has already met with a financial aid official at the school, laying the groundwork for a free ride there — and even showing off his Purple Heart award during the application process.

"I cover all my bases," he said about proving he earned the Purple Heart. He only needed to show the accompanying paper work as evidence.

It's still unknown if Mayor will soon be considered "fit for duty" or just how his Army contract, which runs out in 2011, will unfold. Chunks of his left leg were blown away during a roadside bomb attack near Tikrit, Iraq, on Sept. 16, 2006.

"I don't think I'll ever be completely up to par," he said. "I'll never be the Casey I was before."

Mayor said a college education can offer a "world of opportunity" for vets whose injuries may have altered their career paths. "Everyone is responsible for their own destiny," he said.

The education perks available through the military were a "very big" motivator for Mayor to join the Army. And it didn't take a recruiter to do the research for him. Mayor relied on the Yahoo search engine and the Web site www.militarybenefits.com to find what he needed to know.

"I feel that a lot of people are not in a position where they have a rich mommy and daddy to pay for school," Mayor said.

The risk of injury or even death in exchange for access to education benefits through the military are "worth it," he added. "I almost paid the ultimate sacrifice — If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com