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Once a Marine, Always a Marine

It has been decades since I wore the uniform of a Marine Captain with pride and honor. Over the years, I have been privileged to meet many former Marines and never have I been more impressed than by those young men and women who are part of our Corps today.

When it was recently announced that the present Commandant, a contemporary of mine – General James Conway – was going to testify before the Congress and would likely be asked his opinion about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, a group of former Marines decided to reach out to him before he was called to the Hill.

This group was made up of all ranks from Colonel to Lance Corporal. We were men and women, gay and straight, representing all races, including combat veterans who had fought in every war from Viet Nam to the present engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. In many ways we were a representative cross section of the Corps. We knew that under the present law the Commandant was likely unable to hear from those gay and lesbian Marines who were serving in silence, and we wanted to give our fellow Marines a voice. We wrote to General Conway several times asking for a meeting; we never received a reply. If he had met with us these are a few of the stories he would have heard:

Sgt Eric Alva’s Marines knew he was gay and didn’t care. He was leading them in combat on the first day of the first Iraq War when he stepped on a landmine and lost a leg. He was the first casualty of that war and was awarded the Purple Heart by President George W. Bush.

Captain Antonio Agnone was a combat engineer leading a platoon of Marines charged with disarming Improvised Explosive Devices, the weapon of choice for the insurgents in Iraq. He and his Marines saved countless lives. He lived through the real world depicted in the film “The Hurt Locker.”

Corporal Brett Edward Stout was a Russian linguist who interpreted classified communications for use by both military and civilian intelligence organizations.

Captain Julianne Sohn served a tour in Iraq and returned home at the end of her commitment. Upon discharge, she automatically became a member of the non drilling Individual Ready Reserve. Jules began speaking out against DADT. As a civilian she was exercising her First Amendment right of free speech but was in violation of the DADT law. The Marine Corps recalled her to active duty and threatened her with a less than honorable discharge from the Reserves unless she resigned.

Captain Joseph Donnelly had served two tours in Iraq and was living as an openly gay man in Southern California working at a national accounting firm when he was recalled to active duty from the Individual Ready Reserves. He faced a dilemma. He could go back in the closet and do his duty, or come out and be discharged. He chose to return to the Marines and went back for his first tour of duty in Afghanistan.

These are just a few stories that the Commandant needed to hear.

Last week something remarkable occurred in California. Nathan Fletcher, a Republican member of the California Assembly from San Diego County, supported a nonbinding resolution to the President asking for repeal of the DADT law. Former Captain Fletcher led Marines in such dangerous places as the Sunni triangle in Iraq. He gave a speech that silenced the normally turbulent state Assembly and led to a rousing applause from other members. He broke ranks with his Republican colleagues because “it was the right thing to do.”

Captain Fletcher joins Corporal Stout, Sergeant Alva, Captains Agnone, Donnelly and Sohn by living the three core values of the Marines: Honor, Courage, and Commitment.

They demonstrate that gay and lesbian Marines have served honorably alongside their straight peers. They prove that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" can be repealed without sacrificing the combat effectiveness of the United States Marine Corps . I salute and thank all of them for their service to our country and Corps. Semper Fideles.

05-20-10 By Capt Tom Carpenter, USMC (1970-76) - SLDN Board Member |