Harrisburg, Pa. - John Jones and George Holmes looked just like the politicians they stood with at the state Capitol on Wednesday. They'd fit right in on Wall Street - which they hope to do one day - but their path there has not been easy.

Jones and Holmes are combat veterans. Both were nearly killed by explosives. Jones, a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant, lost both legs in Iraq (web | news) . Holmes, an Army vet, lost the use of his right arm in Afghanistan.

They are the first members of the Wall Street Warfighters program, an internship for wounded veterans. They're paid $24,000 a year while they learn the financial business from the inside. Harrisburg financial consultant R.E. Harper is one of the sponsors.

"I've worked on Wall Street for 31 years and this has been one of the saddest periods I've seen," Rich Harper said. "I think this is an opportunity for us both to give these guys an opportunity and hopefully clean up some of Wall Street."

Ivy League graduates traditionally get the biggest Wall Street jobs, but Jones says combat veterans might be more qualified.

"They don't have experience in leading people in tough situations. They have experience in reading a book, regurgitating it and passing a test," he said.

"I think it offers some people a different opportunity that they wouldn't be able to get otherwise," Holmes said. "For me, it's a step up I would never be able to get on my own."

Wall Street has taken a beating in recent months. Some say it's a brutal place to work. Jones and Homes know better.

"I don't think it's going to be that brutal because nobody's firing at me and I'm not getting bombed every day," Jones said. "Learning how to walk again was hard. This is going to be a cakewalk."

 

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