My Country, My Right to Serve: Experiences of Gay Men and Women in the Military, World War II to the Present

"My Country, My Right to Serve: Experiences of Gay Men and Women in the Military, World War II to the Present" is compiled and with a preface by Mary Ann Humphrey. Humphrey, a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve who was forced to resign her commission for being gay, explains the origin of this book in her preface. The book is a collection of oral histories of lesbian and gay male veterans whose service spans from World War II to the final years of the Cold War era. The veterans in this book are a diverse group: women and men; Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps; active duty, National Guard, and Reserve; officer and enlisted; and of various ethnic backgrounds. They represent a wide range of military jobs: WW2 infantryman, Navy electronics officer, Army court reporter in Vietnam, combat medic, drill sergeant, pilot, recruiter, and more. Besides Humphrey, a total of 42 veterans are featured; some use pseudonyms. Each featured veteran tells his or her story in the first person. This is a fascinating collection of voices. Some recurring themes include gay "networking" within the military and the impact of the AIDS crisis. But I found the most striking recurring theme to be the surveillance, harrassment, intimidation, coercion, and even imprisonment of gay servicemembers. Some of these stories are truly disturbing. Many of the veterans talk about the devastating psychological consequences of such experiences. On the other hand, a number of the vets talk about the positive aspects of their service. For those with some knowledge of the perennially controversial "gays-in-the-military" issue, some of the featured veterans may be familiar: Vernon "Copy" Berg, Leonard Matlovich, Joseph Steffan, Perry Watkins, etc. There are some really noteworthy stories contained in this book. Johnnie Phelps recalls an extraordinary encounter with General Eisenhower when she served as a WAC motor sergeant during WW2. Air Force veteran Ruth Hughes recalls her experience as an African-American woman in uniform in the segregated South. Miriam Ben-Shalom recalls a career that includes service in both the Israeli Army and the U.S. Army. An equally remarkable career is that of J.W. "Skip" Godsey, a combat veteran of Vietnam who served in both the Navy and the Army. One veteran known as "Janice" recalls her career as an Army nurse, which culminated in her retirement as a full colonel. This book is a fascinating and valuable contribution to American military history. Some of the achievements of these men and women are truly remarkable. Their voices are moving and thought-provoking. With a 1990 copyright date, however, the book is clearly in need of a sequel.