While I was teaching at the Academy, after Christmas break, word began to spread that a cadet, Dan Stratford, was discovered to be gay. His friends also came under suspicion because they were his friends. All three of their cadet squadrons were soon tarred with suggestive names such as, "Rebel Eleven, Homo Heaven". Dan's squadron was dubbed, "Queen Fifteen". It was all childish and insensitive and stupid. But these were young men and women, some of whom were also gay, who did not want to be exposed, as well. It was exactly like telling, or laughing at, gay jokes so your co-workers won't suspect that you are gay.
How did the authorities find out Dan was gay, you may wonder? This was a conspiracy between two, straight, Christian cadets in his squadron who did not like him and suspected that he was gay because, when on leave, he went to cities such as Dallas or New York or other such sin capitals that were probably homo havens to these two emotional neanderthals. Most importantly, during the search for proof, the two of them conspired and lied about how they came upon the incriminating evidence that proved Dan was gay.
While he was gone one weekend, they went looking through his personal possessions. This itself was questionable on their part. They later claimed to have been looking for a physics paper. This was, certainly, a lie. For what they found, and what they opened and read, was a personal letter to Dan in an envelope. It later turned out to be from a Canadian attache in Denver who was gay and wrote some things that made it clear he, at least, was gay. By knowing Dan and writing to him, he put Dan under suspicion. Of course, Dan should never have kept the letter among his personal things at the Academy. But cadets should not normally be digging through other cadet's possessions without permission, even if they were actually looking for a physics paper, which obviously does not look anything like a personal letter in a stamped envelope.
The fact that they lied, conspired together to lie, and that their lie, while transparent, was not as easily proved, should still have brought an immediate investigation, and subsequent expulsion, of these two cadets because their statements were a clear violation of the Academy honor code. But since they found evidence that another cadet might be gay, there was a bigger fish to fry than two lying, though straight, cadets.
Years later, after I had moved to Denver, I was put in touch with the late Randy Shilts, who had written the wildly successful 80's AIDS investigation and expose, AND THE BAND PLAYED ON. He was in the process of writing a book about gays and the military, a book that was to be called, CONDUCT UNBECOMING. He was interviewing as many gays whom he could find who had been forced to resign. We spoke several times on the phone. I was briefly mentioned in chapter 34, page 327, though not by name but as the instructor who had been cashiered, while Dan's experience was specifically detailed in pages 326-7.
I wrote the following poem for Dan, not knowing, of course, that something very similar would soon happen to me. The title of the poem is the French motto for Squadron Fifteen, meaning "to the utmost". Dan died of AIDS in 1995. His partner, who had helped him during the investigation and with whom he lived in Denver from 1979, Dick Tuttle, died in 1989, of AIDS. Dan's one cadet friend George Gordy also died of AIDS in 1989.
"PLUS OULTRE" (Spring 1979)
For Dan Stratford
Backed against the eastern slope
to revive the one remaining fear,
we cast him outward,
at once graduated and then expelled,
with no hope of resurrection.
Where bound decisions
always bind us to misjudgment.
Washing with the past
without compassion;
absolving ourselves in precedent,
in committee.
Secretly unable to swerve
from practicing precision.
No courage to tolerate now
what will be accepted
in the months when we debated,
when we cared.
So we turn now in farewell,
knowing when we'll each forget.
Who were those before?
Who after?
Ignoring strength;
advancing no one.
How did the authorities find out Dan was gay, you may wonder? This was a conspiracy between two, straight, Christian cadets in his squadron who did not like him and suspected that he was gay because, when on leave, he went to cities such as Dallas or New York or other such sin capitals that were probably homo havens to these two emotional neanderthals. Most importantly, during the search for proof, the two of them conspired and lied about how they came upon the incriminating evidence that proved Dan was gay.
While he was gone one weekend, they went looking through his personal possessions. This itself was questionable on their part. They later claimed to have been looking for a physics paper. This was, certainly, a lie. For what they found, and what they opened and read, was a personal letter to Dan in an envelope. It later turned out to be from a Canadian attache in Denver who was gay and wrote some things that made it clear he, at least, was gay. By knowing Dan and writing to him, he put Dan under suspicion. Of course, Dan should never have kept the letter among his personal things at the Academy. But cadets should not normally be digging through other cadet's possessions without permission, even if they were actually looking for a physics paper, which obviously does not look anything like a personal letter in a stamped envelope.
The fact that they lied, conspired together to lie, and that their lie, while transparent, was not as easily proved, should still have brought an immediate investigation, and subsequent expulsion, of these two cadets because their statements were a clear violation of the Academy honor code. But since they found evidence that another cadet might be gay, there was a bigger fish to fry than two lying, though straight, cadets.
Years later, after I had moved to Denver, I was put in touch with the late Randy Shilts, who had written the wildly successful 80's AIDS investigation and expose, AND THE BAND PLAYED ON. He was in the process of writing a book about gays and the military, a book that was to be called, CONDUCT UNBECOMING. He was interviewing as many gays whom he could find who had been forced to resign. We spoke several times on the phone. I was briefly mentioned in chapter 34, page 327, though not by name but as the instructor who had been cashiered, while Dan's experience was specifically detailed in pages 326-7.
I wrote the following poem for Dan, not knowing, of course, that something very similar would soon happen to me. The title of the poem is the French motto for Squadron Fifteen, meaning "to the utmost". Dan died of AIDS in 1995. His partner, who had helped him during the investigation and with whom he lived in Denver from 1979, Dick Tuttle, died in 1989, of AIDS. Dan's one cadet friend George Gordy also died of AIDS in 1989.
"PLUS OULTRE" (Spring 1979)
For Dan Stratford
Backed against the eastern slope
to revive the one remaining fear,
we cast him outward,
at once graduated and then expelled,
with no hope of resurrection.
Where bound decisions
always bind us to misjudgment.
Washing with the past
without compassion;
absolving ourselves in precedent,
in committee.
Secretly unable to swerve
from practicing precision.
No courage to tolerate now
what will be accepted
in the months when we debated,
when we cared.
So we turn now in farewell,
knowing when we'll each forget.
Who were those before?
Who after?
Ignoring strength;
advancing no one.
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