Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Audio Recording Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Cold War
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 84th Division; 5091st Reception Battalion
- Location of Service: Fort McClellan, Alabama; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort McCoy and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/43276
Though initially she had joined the military hoping to be assigned duty as a chaplain, Miriam Ben-Shalom found her niche as a drill sergeant. The case of Leonard Matlovich, an Airman who outed himself to the military to fight the ban on LGBT servicemembers, spurred her to speak out against the military's exclusionary policies, eventually resulting in her discharge in 1976. She fought back in court and won the right to re-enlist. In her interview, conducted in 2004, before the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, she asks, "I want to know: when do I get to be an American - whole and complete, same as anybody else?"
Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
Share
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PlayIntegration of the Army; became a drill sergeant; giving orders to male soldiers. 00:08:44.0 - 00:10:58.0
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PlayInspired by Leonard Matlovich's picture on the cover of Time Magazine; deciding not to lie; receiving an honorable discharge. 00:12:07.0 - 00:15:30.0
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PlayInfluence of Jewish faith on her activism. 00:15:39.0 - 00:19:02.0
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PlayTreatment by fellow soldiers after she was reinstated. 00:36:02.0 - 00:37:12.0
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PlayFeeling of hope when Clinton became President; disappointment with Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. 00:49:57.0 - 00:52:58.0
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PlayThoughts on discrimination against gays in the military; anger toward being treated like less than a whole American. 01:15:37.0 - 01:17:02.0
About this Item
Title
- Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection
Names
- American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER)
- Estes, Steve
- Ben-Shalom, Miriam
- Ballard, Lara
Home State
- Wisconsin
Headings
- - Ben-Shalom, Miriam
- - Cold War -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Female
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
Cold War
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 84th Division; 5091st Reception Battalion
- Location of Service: Fort McClellan, Alabama; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort McCoy and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Dates of Service: 1974-1990
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran served in the Army Reserves. She was honorably discharged in 1976 and re-enlisted again in 1988.
Materials
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-11-12)
- Manuscript: Periodicals [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2004)
- Manuscript: Transcript [2 items] -- Typewritten document (collected 2004-11-12)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/43276
Cite as
- Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection (AFC/2001/001/43276), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- online text
- image