Monday, November 21, 2016

Veteran, 91, Discharged for Being Gay in 1948 Files Lawsuit Seeking Status Change

In the 1940s, H. Edward Spires faced a choice men don't face today — enlist or be drafted. Spires chose to enlist, and was assigned as an Air Force chaplain's assistant in San Antonio, Texas.

But his "easy" assignment came to a screeching halt in 1948, when he was reported for being gay and was discharged as "undesirable." Now, 68 years later, the 91-year-old has filed a federal lawsuit seeking an honorable discharge so he can receive a military burial.

"It was all so horrible. I couldn't even eat food," Spires, of Norwalk, Conn., recalled of the grueling interrogation and eventual dismissal back then. "If you've never been through this before then you wouldn't understand." 

Spires is recovering from pneumonia and nearly died from the illness several weeks ago, which makes the suit particularly pressing. His partner David Ronsenberg — also a veteran — said Friday that the difference between the way the two men have been treated by the military is a disgrace. 

Click here for the full article.

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