Rev. Millard Vincent Turner - Massachusetts - Gay
USAF - Jul 13 1962-Jul 12 1966 - E5
Military nick: Vince
self-identified in service: Questioning
Out since: May 1968 - Coming Out: 7
honors & citations: Honorable discharge, Good Conduct Medal,
Outstanding Unit Award, Three letters of commendation for outstanding
performance. Consistently rated in top 10% of my peer group. Promoted to
SSGT before age 21. At age 21 made OPS Supervisor of O/S Intel Unit.
Bio: I loved Military duty, and many times have wished I had stayed in and go on to get an officer's
commission. USAF had courted me to pursue a
Commission. I tried to get into the USAF Academy, but my vision kept me out. I would have loved to have
been a Cadet, either with USAF or at the US Military Academy at West Point. During my last year with USAF,
roughly, I began to feel "urges" that were terrifying me. When I would go drinking with my buddies,
there were a couple of them I was finding very attractive and that was scaring the hell out of me. I would
never have done anything to dishonor the Military or bring shame to it or me. I could not have borne such
disgrace to the Military or myself.
Knowing what I know now, it is by the Grace of God that I did not come out in the Military.
Being assigned to highly classified work would have made such an event all the more horrible.
I came out with my first partner in 1968, and we stayed together for 8 years. We remained
very close friends until he died in 1996. I still stay in touch with his parents. His dad is a retired CPO,
USN.
I am out selectively, although I have been involved in gay civil rights since the very
early 1980's. When Anita Bryant started her b/s, I declared "enough!" I joined the Washington
DC Gay Activists Alliance. I went on to join HRCF (Steve Endean, its founder, was a good friend and then
I got to know Vic Basile very well). I was on the first board of the Gay Education Fund of Washington DC
and on the first board of the Fairfax County Chapter of the Virginia Gay Alliance. Since that time, I’ve
written guest columns in numerous gay rags, plus I write many letters supporting civil rights. I belong
to a number of Military Service related groups.
I run a company today, plus I am ordained. I have read a number of books on Military history,
including our own US Military. I find it odd how we honor/worship Warrior culture, but ignore that the Ancient
Greeks are among the fiercest fighters in history and they were homosexual! The real & true dishonor
is to be forced to deny who one is sexually, and to be punished for being other than heterosexual!
