COL Margarethe Cammermeyer, USA (Ret.)

Born in Oslo, Norway in 1942 under Nazi occupation, Margarethe immigrated with her family to Washington D.C. in 1951. At 19, she joined the U.S. military and after graduating from college served seven years on active duty and married a fellow military officer. Awarded the Bronze Star for service in Vietnam, she was forced to leave the military after becoming pregnant with her first child. Settling in Maple Valley, WA, she raised four sons and divorced in 1980. When military regulations changed in 1972 and women were allowed to serve in the military with dependents, Margarethe returned to the Army Reserves. She later transferred to the National Guard, ultimately serving 31 years in the military prior to retirement as Washington State Chief Nurse.

In 1989 Margarethe challenged her discharge under the military’s anti-gay regulation and exclusion. In 1995, a made-for-television movie adapted from the autobiography "Serving in Silence" (with Chris Fisher) was aired with Glenn Close as Colonel Cammermeyer. The film earned the Peabody award and three Emmy Awards.

Margarethe earned a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Maryland, an M.A and Ph.D. in Nursing Science from the University of Washington and a distinguished Alumni Award in 1995 from the University of Washington School of Nursing. Her concurrent nursing career in the VA Medical Health Care system as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Neurosciences and research lasted 25 years. In 1985 she was named the VA Nurse of the Year before retiring in 1997.

She had an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1998, then hosted an Internet radio talk show for two years before serving six years as Chairperson for the Island County Democrats.

At home on Whidbey Island, WA, she now lives with her partner of 19 years, Diane Divelbess, and opened an Adult Family Home in 2006 to provide 24-hour care to clients with complex health care issues. Visit her website, www.cammermeyer.com, to learn more.