Gene Bivens
Specialist, U.S. Army (1967-1968)
At this time in our history, as we are contemplating a new war that would involve the lives of young U.S. men and women, it's important to keep in mind the price of such war.
As a corpsman in a front-line medical aid-station in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, I witnessed some horrific things. Images of wounded soldiers I attended to in that aid-station will haunt me forever.
I've often wondered if people who feel we shouldn't be allowed in the military would change their minds if they realized that their son, brother, nephew or husband was kept alive in part by the actions of a courageous gay medic. Gay people impact many lives and it would be unwise to cut us out of the picture because of fear or ignorance.
Homophobia has many more victims than just the gay people at whom it's directed.