By: David Keener I wasn’t always the most confident kid growing up in Georgia. Discovering early that I was gay certainly didn’t make life any easier. Most of my childhood was spent hiding. I’m no psychologist but I’m going to bet that it didn’t do any good for my transition […]
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By: Venita R. Thomas Recently I was introduced to an audience, and I was asked to share some information about myself. The response starts the same way, every time. “Thank you. I’d like to start with the fact that I’m most proud of – I am a Veteran. I was […]
By: Eric Ballentine I was 17 years old. I stood inside a small room with about twenty others at the Philadelphia Military Entrance Processing Station in Philadelphia as I swore that solemn oath. As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be in the military. My father […]
By: Trina McDonald In 1987 I made the decision to join the Navy, I was on delayed enlistment for a year and during that time I prepared for the big day to leave which was October of 1988, just a few months after graduation. I had no idea what to […]
FOB Hope: One Vet’s Story of Finding Purpose After Service By: Monique Brown In 1987, I was literally sitting on my bed contemplating the next move I would make in my life. I was about to start my fourth year in a two-year college and I just could not see […]
A Veteran Finds Solace in the Outdoors By: Lornett Vestal Working with Sierra Club… What Veterans Day Means to Me Every year on November 11th, America celebrates a day that honors men and women who currently or used to wear the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. We as a country, […]
The VA is Denying Me Lifesaving Healthcare Because I am a Transgender Veteran By: Nicole Vanderheiden I faithfully served six years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic language intelligence analyst. I achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and deployed to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I […]
“Legally Black” By: Fontaine Wilson I remember my senior year of high school, I had just received my acceptance letter to my #1 college choice. I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to tell my parents. Then my mother let me know we couldn’t afford it. I was crushed. I […]
E Pluribus Unum By: Chuck Tyler Before I tell you what inspires me to be a part of Black History Month now, I want to tell you this. My parents separated on my sixth birthday, and I remember riding with my dad to live with his parents, my grandparents. My grandparents […]
My Journey to the Intersection of Being a Queer Veteran By: Loren Christopher Lacy During my time in the Navy, I did not experience Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) but, I came in right after it was repealed. I joined the Navy to run away from my sexual identity of […]