History Shatters Myths Around Open Service
Monday’s Op-Art piece in the New York Times (“Camouflaged in Plain Sight”), by Lauren Redniss, powerfully illustrates how gays and lesbians have long served in the military with honor and distinction to make their units and our country stronger. The graphic tells the story of Robert Galster, a gay soldier who served as a Sergeant in the 937th Engineer Aviation Camouflage Battalion during World War II. Many of the members of this unit were also gay but did not have to keep their sexual orientation a secret, according to veteran Gilbert Ireland, who was Robert Galster’s partner of 50 years.
Click here to learn more about Robert’s unique war experience and those of his fellow buddies.
04-06-10 By Paul DeMiglio, Senior Communications Manager |
1 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Dino in Washington, DC on April 12, 2010 at 07.55 pm
I would encourage everyone to read a 1990 book “Coming out under fire: The history of gay men and lesbians in World War II” by LGBT Historian Allan Berube and a documentary film of his book by Arthur Dong in 1993. The film profiles nine gays and lesbians who served in the Second World War and their experiences. Once such individual was Sergeant Jonnie Phelps, a WAC who when her boss General Dwight D. Eisenhower once told her to make a list of suspected or known lesbians in the unit as “we have to get rid of them” she responded that she would be happy to do so but that her name would be the first on the list. A stunned and taken aback General Eisenhower after reeling from the shock then said “cancel the order”.