Thank you for this moving Memorial Day story. I was never in combat, but I'm remembering a friend of mine from my Marine Corps Reserves days who died not so long after we did Boot Camp together, in Middle East hostilities that haven't cooled in all the decades since.

I'm pretty sure he was gay, and I'm pretty sure he knew I was, not that we ever talked about it directly. There wouldn't have been anyone to get us out of the brig if we had.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of Pride Season. We have just a few days to go before June starts. And this Pride in the US and UK, we mark a profound diminishment in equality and respect for queer people. It's going to be a tough season and maybe a tough few years.

Your father's courage in the face of grave threats and fear can help encourage us all.

Thank you for sharing his story!