Your Stories
Rick McGilton
My lucky number, 13, came up in the draft and I opted to enlist in the Coast Guard. My duties included being a search and rescue D-8 coxswain on a 32-footer in San Francisco Bay.
William T. Atkins
I am a retired Air Force officer, a heterosexual male. I have been married more than 45 years to the same woman, with two children and some beautiful grandchildren. I believe my oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States requires me to fight for equal rights for all.
A.J. Legault
I joined the Army right out of high school. It was a chance to challenge myself, serve my country and learn valuable life lessons. I was still in the closet, and I was petrified when the recruiter asked about my sexual orientation. I lied and headed to my new life.
Brian Q. Porter
As a young child, I knew I wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps as a pilot. After I took my first trip to Kennedy Airport, I was amazed at the sight of a huge plane flying off the ground. My dad got his experience flying fighters during World War II. And I knew the military would be in my future, as it had been for my brothers, uncles, cousins and dad.
Autumn Sandeen
Raised in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, I was born in Northridge, California as the son of a motion picture/television industry costume supervisor and a homemaker. At fourteen a flashbulb seemed to go off in my head, and the reason I had felt "off" for most of my childhood became clear: my body was starting to develop in a way that didn’t match my female gender.
Jason Grodensky
I joined the military shortly after I dropped out of college to obtain some direction in my life. I enjoyed the military and was very content with my job. Unfortunately, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would change that.