American Veterans for Equal Rights is proud to join with the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in recognizing the contributions of all GLBT veterans by sharing our stories.

Every story is important in educating members of Congress, the Administration, and the public on the valuable contributions made by LGBT people who served in the Armed Forces of our great country.

American Veterans for Equal Rights is in full support of this effort. Please show your support by sharing your story with us. Click the link above, and Thank You for serving our Country!

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If you served in the U.S. Armed Forces during a period of war, you are eligible for a special program that will allow your personal history and record of service to be stored in the permanent archives of the U.S. Library of Congress. AVER is an official partner to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, which was created by the U.S. Congress in 2000 to collect videotaped and tape-recorded oral histories of veterans and civilians who contributed to the nation’s defense during World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars. More information about this project is available through the link above.

It is absolutely vital that the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) veterans be recorded and archived for future generations of historical researchers. Our partnership with this project provides us with a unique opportunity to educate the American public on the contributions of LGBT servicemembers. All AVER officers and all eligible veterans are called upon to facilitate this effort.

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Palm Springs VETERANS MEMORIAL

The first monument specifically dedicated to the memory of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered veterans was dedicated on Memorial Day, 27 May, 2001, through the cooperative efforts of AMVETS Post 66 and Palm Springs Gay Veterans.

Click to see the dedicatory program for the Palm Springs Memorial and Pictures from the dedication.

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Phoenix VETERANS MEMORIAL

Thanks to the efforts of the Arizona Rainbow Veterans, the first memorial that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered veterans has been placed in a National Cemetery. The officials in the National Cemetery Association accepted the design and authorized the donation of this memorial for GLBT Veterans of the US Armed Forces. This memorial is now located in the National Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona. The boulder-shaped monument of rainbow granite bears the original GLBVA logo. Dedication of the monument took place on Veterans’ Day, 11 November, 2000.

Dedicatory Program
Welcome and Convocation Address by the President of Arizona Rainbow Veterans
“The Charge of Remembrance”, an address by the National President of AVER.
The text of the Reverend Patrick Stout’s Dedication Address is available here by his kind permission.

Welcome veterans, friends, family and patriots. On behalf of the Arizona Rainbow Veterans, I would like to thank you for joining us on a solemn day of historical significance. Today we are dedicating the first memorial in the history of the United States of America to be donated by a gay and lesbian veterans’ organization.

This memorial will be the first all-inclusive memorial. It stands as a tribute to all of our fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have succumb to enemies both foreign and domestic. Regardless of sexual orientation, ethnicity or gender identification.

To be a member of the United States Armed Forces is a proud challenge to undertake, especially for those of us who were challenged to hide who we are. Gay men and women have always served in the armed forces of every nation’s history. They serve proudly and openly every NATO ally of ours except in our country and Turkey. They serve openly in nations from Australia to Colombia and not once has this affected morale or degenerated the state of readiness of their forces.

The Arizona Rainbow Veterans have stood proudly by the belief that all American citizens should be able to serve their nation. Integrity is a key element of the United States military and forcing their personnel to compromise that by being silent about their identity is an injustice that needs to come to an end. Right now as we speak, there are proud, intelligent and decorated members of the military that are forced to deceive their peers and superiors. They should not have to serve their nation in fear. There is no such thing as special rights for American citizens who want equality and fairness.

For me this memorial symbolizes two people who have affected me and helped push me to ensure this memorial gets placed. In 1992, two weeks after I was stationed in northern Japan, Allen Schindler was beaten to death by his fellow shipmates in southern Japan. There was no cause, no instigation, just a brutal murder of a patriotic American, trying to serve his nation. His death shaped my military career, into a service of fear and uncertainty.

The other person this memorial represents for me is Barry Winchell. In 1999, Private Winchell was bludgeoned with a baseball bat in his sleep by a fellow soldier for the perception of being gay. He too, was a dedicated American, unjustly murdered.

This memorial for me represents them. A memorial not only for those who have fallen in war, but those who have fallen due to intolerance. The longer the ban is in place, the longer this intolerance will be allowed to thrive. Please join me in a moment of silence to remember these two men and every member of our military, gay or straight, who deserve the recognition of sacrificing their lives for the opportunity to serve our nation proudly.

Again, thank you for being here. Thank you for serving our nation, supporting our troops and believing in equality for every American.

And please join me in a separate thanks for a man who did 90% of the work for this memorial and gives himself only 10% of the recognition. We would not be here and I would not be here, if not for Wally Straughn. He has made me proud to say that I am a veteran, a Gay Veteran, of the United States Armed Forces.

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We have come today to honor our family members who have served and are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. We come to share our gratitude, our support and our pride.

The sacrifice paid by these veterans includes their lives, their loves, and their freedom of speech about who they are.

Somewhere near our faded ribbons you’ll find our pride. We are the veterans that may not have fired a shot, but are important too.

We are the veterans that didn’t have a voice; we feared the witch hunts. Though it wasn’t always easy, and it wasn’t fair, When freedom cried we answered; we were there.

Still, through it all, we are the veterans that may never be the same…

We served proudly in silence.

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Some of the people we honor here today are:

• Army Col. Margarethe Carnmermeyer
• Dusty Pruitt
• Miriam Ben-Shalom
• Copy Berg
• Dr. Tom Dooley
• Andy Holmes
• Mary Ann Humphrey
• Leonard Matlovich
• Tim McVeigh
• Keith Meinhold
• Alan Schindler
• Baron von Steuben
• Tom Swann
• Perry Watkins

and thousands of others who have served, who are serving; those who have died and those who are living.

Our veterans have served with pride not only against the enemy from sources outside the United States, but also from enemies who have the potential of killing dreams, hope, and their very personhood.

Yet, these veterans have persevered in a system that does not honor who they are and has put into place a system that continues to ask them to lie. We honor those who have chosen to serve knowing the potential problems that may come their way.

We honor here today veterans who have fought or served in the following wars:

• American Revolution
• War of1812
• Mexican War
• Civil War
• Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• Persian Gulf War

And we honor all who have fought in such places as:

• Belieau Wood
• The Argonne
• Omaha Beach
• Salermo
• Guadalcanal
• Tarawa
• Pork Chop Hill
• The Chosin Reservoir
• Rice Paddies and Jungles of Vietnam
• Deserts of the Persian Gulf War

And we honor those who have served in peace times all across the world. Their willingness to be prepared and to serve is and has been crucial to all of us.

The Preamble to the National Constitution of Gay, Lesiban and Bisexual Veterans of America, Inc. states:
We firmly believe that the inalienable rights secured to all Americans by The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the sentiments they represent, and the historic record of their defense by countless selfless citizens, include the right to privacy in our lives, and the right to live free open lives within the American society, irrespective of race, creed, ethnic, cultural or place of national origin, age, economic or marital status, gender or gender identification, sexual orientation, and actual or perceived differences in physical or other ability.

We dedicate this memorial today:

“In memory of all veterans who served with courage and pride.”

Donated by the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veterans of America.

President Bill Clinton in his inaugural address said:

“in serving, we recognize a simple but powerful truth–we need each other. And we must care for one another. Today, we do more than celebrate America; we rededicate ourselves to the idea of America.”

President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address concludes as do I:

“The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us–that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion–that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

Thank you.

11 NOVEMBER 2000
NATIONAL CEMETERY – PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Delivered by James P. Donovan
National President
American Veterans for Equal Rights

And the list goes on. The Spanish-American War, the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the “little” wars of the last two decades, including more recently, the tragedy with the USS Cole.

Our gay brothers and sisters have always been included in these great losses, and now it is time on this Veterans Day to include them in the Honor Roll of this “bivouac of the dead.” No less have GLB folk been prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, and many did.

So now our comrades will have their monument.

I am so very proud of the Arizona Rainbow Veterans for leading this Charge of Remembrance. This act is part of the same selflessness that our community has always been prepared to make, only now it is open and public.

When Wally Straughn first made the announcement at the GLBVA Convention in Palm Springs, the enthusiasm was stupendous: that so simple an idea, involving so much work was finally going to be a reality.

And now it is. We can never replace these individuals, but now we can honor all those men and women who served with honor, courage and pride.

James P. Donovan HMC USN Ret

President, GLBVA

 

Solemn Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony
To Honor America’s First Veteran’s Monument Dedicated Solely to Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender Who Died In Wars

Memorial Day May 27th, 2001
Cathedral City, CA

60th Anniversary of America’s Entry in WW II

Welcoming Remarks – Master of Ceremonies, Tom Swann (former Sgt; U.S. Marine Corps and Founding Chair AMVETS Palm Springs Post 66)

Presentation of Veteran Color Guard – Palm Springs Gay Veterans & San Diego chapter, GLBVA

Invocation- Rev. David Pelletier – Pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Coachella Valley Palm Springs, CA

Pledge of Allegiance – Chuck Schoen, a Founding Member of the GLBVA

National Anthem – Ms. Wendy Cohen, Chior Director, MCC

Welcome from City of Palm Springs – Ron Oden, Mayor pro tem

Introduction of Special Guests – Greg Pettis, Vice Mayor of Cathedral City

Welcome from City of Cathedral City – Mayor George Stettler

Reading of letter from Rep. Tammy Baldwin – Randy Schecher

Reading of letter from VA Secretary Anthony Principi – Charlie Sharples, AMVETS Vice Commander

Reading of letter from Governor Gray Davis – Eric Bauman, Special Asst. to Gov. Davis

Remarks by Patricia Nell Warren

Special Remarks by Venerable Morris Kight – Liberator! Former adviser to President Jimmy Carter and co-founder Stonewall Democratic Club of LA

Remarks by Mr. Robert LeBlanc – Representative of Dept. of California Amvets for Commander, Dennis O’Dell

Special Music – Ms. Wendy Cohen

Keynote remarks – Daryl James and Introduction of Special Guest of Honor Ms. Dorothy Hajdys-Holman

Special Remarks by Ms. Holman – Mother of Allan Schindler

Special Music – Caballeros Choir

Dedication of Veteran Monument, Unveiling, and Prayer – Tom Swann

Presentation of Memorial Wreaths Moderator – Greg Pettis, Vice Mayor, CC

Music – Navy Hymn (aka. “Eternal Father Strong to Save”) The Caballeros
(Note: Everyone is asked to stand and remain silent during the presentation of wreaths. Men should hold their hats over their hearts. Please quietly take pictures in respect to deceased veterans, their families and loved ones.)

• Alexander Hamilton American Legion Post 448 In loving memory of SGT Leonard Matlovich, Cliff Anchor, Max Woerner, Mark Repass and Bob Basker(Presented by Bud Robbins)
• Morris Kight – (Presented by Morris)
• Cathedral City Council
• Green, deBornowsky and Quintanilla Law Firm (Presented by Steve Quintanilla)
• Hon. Ron Oden Wreath
• Desert Stonewall Democratic Club Palm Springs CA – In loving memory of Navy veteran late Sup. Harvey Milk and others
• Democrats of the Desert Club (Presented by Sonja and Robert Marchand)
• Inland Empire Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club (Presented by Heidi von Tilsit and Steve McGrew)
• Democratic Veterans Caucus (Presented by Dave Roberts and Ray Cordova)
• Gerrie Schipske and Flo Pickett Wreath – In memory of Navy Ensign Robert Southworth WW II
• State Assemblymember Carole Migden (Presented by Robert Barnes and TBD)
• Armed Forces Veterans Association of Greater New York
• Palm Springs Gay Veterans (Presented by Mel Tips and Randy Schecher)
• AMVETS Post 66 (Presented by Daryl James and Charlie Sharples)

Moment of Silence for All Veterans & Bells Every 10 Seconds – Chris Lenz, Ordained Deacon and Excel Team from the Southland, MCC of the Coachella Valley

Benediction – Chris Lenz, Grandson of Bataan Death March Survivor

Release of 21 White Doves – Morris Kight, nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Retire the Colors (Note: All must stand and salute)

Taps – Bryon Wirth – San Diego Gay Freedom Band

Flag returned

Closing Remarks – Tom Swann