Vietnam Veteran Went To An Eagles Game, Had His Prosthetic Leg Stolen

A Vietnam veteran and blues musician known for playing outside Philadelphia sports stadiums had his prosthetic leg stolen by a drunken fan, only to have it found by police a few hours later.

Sonny Forriest Jr. is a Philadelphia blues musician who lost his leg in Vietnam. He played a few gigs, and had a few records, with various blues acts before becoming something of a local celebrity in Philadelphia, playing the blues outside of Eagles and Phillies games, according to ABC News.

Sonny was playing outside of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants game at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday night. He had taken off his prosthetic leg because it was hurting him, and had it resting against his wheelchair, when a drunken fan approached him, according to NBC Philadelphia.

“She jumped in my lap. She gripped my leg and I didn’t even know it. I looked down and she took my leg! Then she disappeared! A young lady came up, snatched my leg off my chair and took off!”

The good news, if it can be called that, is that the fan who stole his prosthetic leg was dressed in Eagles gear, so at least it wasn’t stolen by a rival team. And there’s the fact that his team won their game, 27-0.

Forriest seems to have kept a good attitude about his prosthetic leg being being stolen; when NBC Philadelphia talked to him about the incident, he sang a few bars about the thief.

“It’s a shaaaame, the way you mess around with old men! It’s a shaaaame the way you hurt me!”

Fortunately for Mr. Forriest, his stolen prosthetic leg was found a few hours later. According to WPVI, SEPTA (Philadelphia’s mass transit system) found it a few hours later, abandoned in a subway train.

This is not the first time a veteran’s prostheses have been stolen. Earlier this year, according to this Inquisitr report, a thief stole the iPad that controlled Afghanistan veteran Ben Eberle’s prosthetic limb.

Eagles fans are savages. Stealing a poor mans prosthetic leg.

— Matt Niehaus (@MattNiehaus) October 13, 2014

As of this post, no arrests have been made in the theft. Although there is surveillance video of the theft, Mr. Forriest isn’t interested in seeing the prosthetic leg thief prosecuted, but told NBC Philadelphia that somebody should have a talk with the thief.

[Image courtesy of: NBC Philadelphia]