Veteran Calls on Senate to Honor Service of All Patriots
Today HRCBackStory.org posted a letter by former Air Force Sergeant Steve McWilliams, which appeared in the Sunday edition of the Fargo Forum in North Dakota.
McWilliams, who served in the armed forces for 11 years, describes how ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will make our military stronger and enable the armed forces to show respect to all service members regardless of sexual orientation:
“When this law is repealed, our military’s leaders will no longer be forced to remove able-bodied and highly trained young Americans from the ranks of their teams in a time when they are needed the most. They will no longer be forced to weaken the strength of their units for no other reason than an outdated, discriminatory law demands it. By repealing this law, our government will tell many service members they are important to our nation, and that they will no longer be forced to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love.
“Here in Minot, N.D., we host the brave men and women of Minot Air Force Base. Many of the base’s 7,500 service members and their families call our town home. They live and relax here. By repealing this law, our government will be able to do what many of us here in our city have done for years: Honor the service of all of our nation’s service members, regardless of their background."
The Air Force sergeant urges senators to reflect on the sacrifice of all men and women in uniform as we approach expected key votes on DADT repeal:
“Let’s pause to remember that gay, lesbian and bisexual service members have a long history of military service. These brave warriors have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, in Korea and Vietnam, in the Pacific and the Atlantic. Open service honors the sacrifice of all of the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to service of their country."
To learn more about how you can help repeal DADT – visit our take action page and contact your senator now.
07-26-10 By Paul DeMiglio, Senior Communications Manager |
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