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.
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