The Veteran Thread

[Nadeest]

Yes, I am a 'Hollywood Marine', ya swamp fox. :P I do know the feeling. I think that a lot of the people that I served with would be rather astonished if they could see me now. lol

[theoddz]

Here's a nice little gem.

A shout out to all the Vets who keep this thread going!!!



We are all one.....one force, one love and devotion to our country. We all have served proudly. May G-d bless us, one and all.

Semper Fi,
~Theo~

[MsTinkerbelly]

OutServe Capital Summit planned for May 14-15 in Washington, D.C.

OutServe, a nonprofit organization that represents active duty LGBT military personnel, announced today that it will be holding its first OutServe Capital Summit on May 14-15 in Washington, D.C. Courage Campaign is one of the co-sponsors of the summit, as well as the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

OutServe’s theme for its summit will be “Our Families Matter,” and will feature a day of panels and discussions between active duty soldiers of all sexual orientations and advocacy experts about the rights of gay and lesbian military partners under DOMA. Despite the repeal of DADT, same-sex military partners are not eligible for all of the rights that heterosexual military families enjoy, including healthcare, base housing, and other privileges.

The Capital Summit is an exciting idea because it will bring together members of this community who have not necessarily had a chance to discuss the changes in their lives that DADT repeal has brought and provide a space for discussing how DOMA continues to negatively impact LGBT service members and their partners. In addition, the summit will look at what can get done in the future: SLDN, HRC and Courage will lead a discussion about how to elicit congressional action to help LGBT service members, and the second day of the summit will be dedicated to outreach on Capitol Hill.

Registration for the summit opens today at OutServe’s website. Check out the full schedule below!



Monday (May 14th)

8am: Registration

9am-4pm: Our Families Matter Workshops/Presentations

6:30pm: OutServe National Military Families Dinner (tickets sold seperately)

Tuesday (May 15th)

8am: Breakfast/ Morning Briefing

9am: Load Bus

9:30am-3pm: Capitol Hill

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Nadeest

Yes, I am a 'Hollywood Marine', ya swamp fox. :P I do know the feeling. I think that a lot of the people that I served with would be rather astonished if they could see me now. lol

Nadeest, I'm so sorry to say that I haven't seen this until now. I hang my head in shame!!! LOL

You know, like you, I lost touch with so many good people I served with....many who so touched my life that I am even alive now!!! For a long, long time, I grieved for my lost friendships because I missed those Marines so much.

I'm even a Life Member of the Women Marines Association. Ya, but can you imagine the likes of ME, now, showing up at a WMA convention??? The WMA has a convention every year, and it sure looks like a wonderful time. It's usually at a different location/city each year. I think that Denver, CO, has been one of the recent spots for it, and that's within driving distance from Las Vegas, here. So many proud Women Marines of all generations, gathered together in one spirit of service, tradition and honor. As you well know, the camaraderie and loyalty to the Corps and each other spans the generations. We are one brother/sisterhood. I would so, SO love to attend the annual WMA convention, or join my local chapter of the Marine Corps League, because Las Vegas has a very proud and active local chapter of that, too. I just don't know how I'd do that. You know how old Marines are.....usually very, very conservative. I'm sure that Marines like us would go over like a fart in church with them. It's so sad, isn't it?? The Marine Corps is still so much a part of me, and I'd like to embrace it as a proud Marine Veteran, but I feel that I'm locked out of that. It really makes me so sad. Do you ever feel that way about it?? I guess it's one of those "losses" they say is so common when we transition.

Well, fast forward to recent years. The good news is that, after 30+ years, Facebook has allowed me to find and reconnect with some of the good women I served with. I have had the enormous good fortune to have reconnected with one dear friend who, 30+ years ago, quite literally saved my life from alcoholism. Her friendship and loyalty redirected my life away from the bottle, literally saving my young life from so much grief and trouble. I still can recollect her words to me from all those years ago. Well, when we made contact again, after all that time, it didn't matter one speck to her that I'm now a fully transitioned man. In fact, during the years she and I had lost touch, she actually married a transman and they had a son together, via artificial insemination. Her son looks just like her, and he's such a fine, smart, decent man now.....a real testament to what a wonderful person my friend is!! She and the transguy divorced, but A recently married a really nice and wonderful woman, whom I really like and respect. A couldn't have found a better fit and partner than D. They are both blessed.

Anyway, it's like the years we were lost to each other just melted away, and we're just as close now as we were then. I can pick up the phone and call her, share jokes and pictures with her on FB, tell her anything and laugh like a pair of hyenas with her about things that happened yesterday or 30 years ago!!! G-d bless my dear friend, A!!! G-d bless that marvelous bond we share. Thank G-d she saved and touched my life so profoundly. Life is so much fuller with good friends in it. I'm so lucky to have a friend and sister in A.

I've also reconnected with several other good friends on FB. They all seem to understand and accept me for who I am now, because we were such good friends before, and as one recently told me....."You're still the same person inside....You're still my friend.".

It might be different for (bio)male Marines, where acceptance of transfolk is concerned. It's such a macho group, by and large. Have you been able to reconnect or maintain any friendships from your time in the Corps through your transition?? As for me, well, I'm very proud to have you for my sister, and I couldn't be prouder that you and I share this precious bond. I'm always here for you and I will always have your back. Semper Fi, my friend!!!

I didn't want to hijack this thread, or its purpose. Being a trans Veteran is, to me, a very "Veteran" issue. There are so many Veterans who have undergone a gender transition, and it's good to know that a few of us are here and that we understand each other.

Have a great weekend!!!

Semper Fi,
~Theo~

[Nadeest]

No, I've never really tried to keep in touch. There have always been very few people in my life that remain as a constant. It seems that my life has been full of change, and continues to be so.

I am very, very glad for you, though, that you have found and reconnected with your friends. That is very marvelous.

[Tommi]

Published: August 13, 2012
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/13...-flag-rank.xml
WASHINGTON - An Army officer being promoted to brigadier general openly acknowledged her homosexuality on Friday by having her wife pin her star to her uniform, thus becoming the first openly gay officer of flag rank in the United States military.
The officer, Brig. Gen. Tammy S. Smith, 49, a 26-year veteran of the Army, was promoted in a ceremony at the women's memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. The star was affixed by Tracey Hepner, who was a co-founder last year of the Military Partners and Families Coalition, which "provides support, resources, education and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military partners and their families," according to its Web site.
The couple married in March 2011 in the District of Columbia.
The military dropped its "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gay service members on Sept. 20, 2011, after a change in federal law.
The Army said that General Smith was not available for an interview on Sunday. However, she said in a statement that the Defense Department had made sexual orientation a private matter, but that "participating with family in traditional ceremonies such as the promotion is both common and expected of a leader."
Sue Fulton, a spokeswoman for OutServe, a two-year-old organization of lesbians and gay men in the military, said Sunday that it was "highly unlikely" that General Smith was the only gay officer of her rank. She called General Smith's public acknowledgment significant.
"I would say that it's important to recognize 'the first,' because then the next person doesn't have to be first," said Ms. Fulton, a 1980 West Point graduate. "Once we get over each 'first,' each hurdle of 'Well, that's never been done before,' it makes it a nonissue going forward."
Ms. Fulton, who was honorably discharged as a captain in 1986, said she left the Army because of the strains of maintaining a secret lesbian relationship. She called the promotion ceremony in which General Smith acknowledged being gay part of the best in Army tradition. Ms. Fulton quoted a speech last September in which the Army chief of staff, Gen. Ray Odierno, said that "the strength of our Army is our soldiers; the strength of our soldiers is our families."
Ms. Fulton said she had no doubt that General Smith's superiors knew of her sexual orientation when they selected her for promotion.
As a colonel, General Smith was deployed in Afghanistan from December 2010 to October 2011 as the chief of Army Reserve Affairs. She currently serves in Washington as the deputy chief of the Army Reserve.

" Go Army "

Said from the Blue

[theoddz]

Happy 237th Birthday to all of my Marine brothers and sisters. Today is OUR day!!!!

On this day, I am always especially mindful to my brothers and sisters who, like myself, have earned and worn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. Our camaraderie, spirit and devotion to each other ("the bond") are legendary and transcends the years and generations. No matter when or where we have served, we share that enduring bond of friendship, loyalty and devotion to Corps, country and each other. It's what we do best.

So, in honor of the Corps, and each other, I raise my glass and tip my hat to Marines of all generations, past and present, no matter when or where they have served, for each and every one is my brother and my sister.

OOOOOOOOOOOO RAH!!!!!!



~Theo~

[Toughy]

OOOOOOOOO RAH!!

I'm thinking about going down to the Veterans Day Parade tomorrow.....San Francisco has a big one....celebrate with my fellow vets.......

[pinkgeek]

Originally Posted by Toughy

OOOOOOOOO RAH!!
I'm thinking about going down to the Veterans Day Parade tomorrow.....San Francisco has a big one....celebrate with my fellow vets.......

Thank you for your service Toughy and thank you to all the other BFP Veterans as well.