Serving in Silence: LGBTQ+ Veterans

While military service oftentimes demands sacrifices from those in uniform, historically, LGBTQ+ veterans have faced a unique set of challenges. For many of these veterans, following a call to serve meant keeping their private lives entirely private, for fear that exclusionary policies would hold them back or end their careers altogether. Here, we present stories of LGBTQ+ veterans who served from the WWII era to the present, that illustrate these veterans’ bravery, honesty, and unwavering dedication to their country.

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    personal narrative
    Clifton Francis Arnesen, Jr. Collection Private, Army, Cold War - Fort Dix, New Jersey.
    • Contributor: American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Ballard, Lara - Arnesen Jr., Clifton Francis - Estes, Steve
    • Date: 1965
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    Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection Staff Sergeant, Army, Cold War - Fort McClellan, Alabama; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort McCoy and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
    • Contributor: American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Ben-Shalom, Miriam - Ballard, Lara - Estes, Steve
    • Date: 1974
  • personal narrative
    Allen Irvin Bernstein Collection Staff Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - United States; Fort Wadsworth, New York; Fort Lee, Virginia.
  • personal narrative
    Nathaniel Glover Butler Collection Lieutenant Junior Grade, Navy, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Pacific Ocean; California; Vietnam.
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    Andrew James Chier Collection Air Force, Afghan War, 2001- - Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. Technical Sergeant, Air Force, Iraq War, 2003-2011 - Beaumont, Texas; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Gordon, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; Balad,…
    • Contributor: Ferry, David Anthony - Chier, Andrew James
    • Date: 2000
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    Sam R. Deloach Collection Hospital Corpsman, Navy, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Orlando, Florida; Oakland and Newport, California.
    • Contributor: Bowen, Sarah - Wrcb-Tv Channel 3 - Willie, Michael Lloyd - Deloach, Sam R.
    • Date: 1973
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    Patricia Louise Duwel Collection Marine Corps, Cold War - Parris Island, South Carolina. Senior Chief Master-at-Arms, Navy, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; San Diego, California; Concord, California; Washington, DC; Bremerton, Washington.
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    Cristina A. Frisby Collection Navy, Cold War - Annapolis. Sergeant, Army, Iraq War, 2003-2011 - Iraq.
    • Contributor: Unknown - Frisby, Cristina A. - Manalo, Sheila - The Center (the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center)
    • Date: 1987
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    Ric Gleason-Mendoza Collection Corporal, Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Seoul, Korea.
    • Contributor: American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Gleason-Mendoza, Ric - Falecker, Katia Bore - Ballard, Lara
    • Date: 1951
    • Resource: - 1 page
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    Elizabeth Lutes Hillman Collection Captain, Air Force, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Durham, North Carolina; Denver, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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    Christine Lynn Johnston Collection Corporal, Army, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Hood, Texas.
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    Franklin E. Kameny Collection Private First Class, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Benning, Georgia; Camp Polk, Louisiana; Tidworth Barracks, England; Normandy, France; Roermond, Netherlands; Germany; Czechoslovakia.
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    Meg Parrish Miner Collection Technical Sergeant, Air Force, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Mount Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Hahn Air Base and Spangdahlem Air Base,…
    • Contributor: Sober, Janis - American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Miner, Meg Parrish - Ballard, Lara
    • Date: 1979
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    Carolyn Dusty Pruitt Collection Major, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort McClellan, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Fort Drum, New York; Fort Worth, Texas; San Diego and Los Alameda, California (Reserve Service).
    • Contributor: American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Pruitt, Carolyn Dusty - Ballard, Lara - Estes, Steve
    • Date: 1971
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    Kathleen Anne Robbins Collection Captain, Air Force, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Philippines; Vietnam; Mather Air Force Base, California.
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    Robert M. Robledo Collection Chief Petty Officer, Navy, Cold War - Norfolk, Virginia; Rota, Spain; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego, California.
    • Contributor: Catalfo, Nicole - Robledo, Robert M. - The Center (the San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center) - Unknown - Janelle Bergthold
    • Date: 1981
    • Resource: Interview / Recording - Audio - 00:35:17.0
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    Tedosio Louis Samora Collection E-5, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - North Carolina; Saigon, Vietnam.
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    Tammy S. Smith Collection Major General, Army, Afghan War, 2001- - Afghanistan; Panama City, Panama; Korea; Costa Rica; Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Arlington, Virginia.
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    Rupert Starr Collection Second Lieutenant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Belgium; Germany; Poland; Russia; Turkey; Italy.
  • personal narrative
    Brenda A. Vosbein Collection Lieutenant Colonel, Army, Cold War. .
    • Contributor: American Veterans for Equal Rights (Aver) - Stephen Gratwick - Ballard, Lara - Vosbein, Brenda A.
    • Date: 1970
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    JaeLee Waldschmidt Collection Electrician's Mate, Navy, War on Terrorism, 2001-2009 - Great Lakes, Illinois; Charleston, South Carolina; Ballston Spa, New York; Groton, Connecticut; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
    • Contributor: Iscopes: George Washington School of Medicine & Health Sciences - Javellana, Donna - Rebecca Katz - Waldschmidt, Jaelee - Wendy Fan
    • Date: 2003
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    Richard Dean Williams Collection Air Force, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Lee, Virginia; Shaw Air Force Base, Sembach Air Base, Germany; Vandenberg Shaw Air Force Base, California; F. E. Warren Shaw Air Force Base, Wyoming; Maxwell…