On August 1994, I was retired from the Marine Corps. This was after 3 years of battling illness and the Naval Medical Corps paprerwork in an attempt to say in. I was retired becaue I became sick after the Gulf War. My unit return to country on June 1st 1990 and I was transfer to a new unit right away. My first week of leave I was rushed to the VA hospital here in Sioux Falls, because of headaches and dizziness.
During the years that followed I surffered from headaches that were so bad I often thought of killing myself to end the pain. I blacked out for no reason and I has seizures that resembled a petty maul. The Military doctors had no clue how to treat me and would not look at the Gulf War as a possible cause.
When I traveled up to Sioux Falls and checked into the Va hospital here as a Veteran I was told that my medical record was lost. Lucky for me, I had made three copies of it before I was retired. They had certified copies to use. A month later my true copy was "found". I was given the run around for nearly four years. I had doctors tell my family that I am just another vet trying to scam the government for money (that doctor nolonger works for the VA). I had "physicals" were no blood, urine, or any lab work or any other test what-so-ever where given and then given a clean bill of health. It took me 6 request to get the Pursian Gulf Physical and then it was nothing more then a simple questionaire.
It took me speaking to the Director of the hospitol and threating a Congressional investigation to get anything done. I know have a team of Doctors that understand what is wrong with me and while it remains undiagnosed other then a head trauma, they are willing to look at the Gulf War now as a possible and likely cause.
I have learned one thing from this. The only way anyone get ahead when dealing with the government is to attack it hard and fast never stopping and never giving up.
GLBTDVA- This is the national page for the Gay Lesbian Bisexual & Transgendered Disabled Veterans. There is so much information in this site, it doesn't matter what your gender orientation is, the information can help any veteran. one of the best sites I have seen on Veterans issues. This site can take a bit to load, but it is worth the wait.
GLBVA This is the national page for the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Veterans of America.
VNIS This is the Veterans News and Information Service.
Veteran's Benefits This is a good site to start searching for explainations to Benefits.
VFW National Headquarters This is The Veterans Of Foreign Wars National headquarters.
American Legion This is the American Legions National website.
DAV Web Ring This is the main site for the DAV web ring.
I never viewed myself as a gay Marine. I was simply a Marine Rifleman. The fact that I was gay did not affect my ability to accomplish any mission. I had Marines who knew I was gay. Those that knew did not care. Some of them were perhaps gay or BI, but their being gay or BI didn't effect their ability to perform the mission at hand. While not on liberty my being gay was never an issue or a problem. I was a Marine and just like a straight Marine, I was there to perform a mission. Those that think a gay service member cannot control their sexual appetite are scared old men who have an over inflated ego that makes them think they are divas to gay men. Like I said it is their ego working overtime. Gay service members are no more likely to sexually-attack other service member. In fact, records would show that the opposite is true. Nearly every recorded sexual attack conducted by a service member has been conducted a non-gay service member.
The only time my being gay became important was when I was on liberty and wished to go out with a friend. Life as a gay service member is a life of shadow movements when on liberty. If I was going to go out with a friend who was also a service member, it was much easier and safer to be seen out in the public together. It was viewed as two Marine buddies out on the town having fun. However, having said that, liberty still was a risk. Anyone who lives near a major military instillation can tell you there is always at least one gay bar in the community. However, that bar is off limits to service members (or was during the period I was in the Marines 1983-1994). Now if a gay service member desired to go dancing he and his partner would have to leave the community, over a weekend, and travel to a distant city without any major military base. Alternatively, you would meet some other local gay couple and have a discreet house party.
There were tons of unwritten rules that were and perhaps are still used to help protect gay service members. I will list just a few so that you can see the stress that many of them create:
I know most of these rules are the same for anyone that is still in the closet. Now additionally add the stress of living and working in one of the remaining cultures where gay bashing it is not only permitted but also rewarded. The stress that if found out you can be imprisoned or at the least have your career stripped from you with all honorable benefits taken.
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