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Duty, Honor, Pride

Military Experiences of LGBTQ+ Servicemembers of Central PA

Investigations during the Vietnam War Era

LGBTQ+ soldiers serving during the Vietnam War faced investigations into their private lives if the military suspected them of being gay or lesbian. Mary Merriman, who joined the Air Force in 1967, noted “homosexuality was listed as a mental illness” during this time. “They had not declassified it ‘til 1973. So, you were always kind of under a lot of suspicion” if your sexual orientation was questioned. She managed to survive the investigations but remained very cautious throughout her military service. These investigations inspected soldiers’ private lives, exploring the relationships they had inside and outside the military.
Despite never admitting her sexuality to her commander, Merriman’s sexuality was continuously questioned by her female commander who inferred that Merriman’s short haircut meant she was a lesbian. Merriman only left the military once she found out she was pregnant. In fact, her pregnancy protected her from the last set of investigations she went through. It was as if her pregnancy convinced the investigators that she couldn’t be both a lesbian and a pregnant woman.
Merriman, Mary. Interview by Mark Stoner, 28 August 2013, Lancaster, PA. LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
Photo of woman in US military uniform.
Photograph of Mary Merriman in 1968 while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Freiberg, Jerre. Interview by Mary Merriman, 3 December 2014, Lancaster, PA. LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

Caution Undertaken

To avoid these investigations and discrimination, several LGBTQ+ soldiers hid their sexuality from the military. Jerre Freiberg, a native of Lancaster, PA, served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years after enlisting in 1964. Despite enjoying his naval career, it was difficult for him to pursue a same-sex relationship while continuing his military service. He was able to avoid investigations into his sexuality, as far as he knows, by taking serious caution in how he lived his life.

Difference in Location of Service

The context of the area where they were stationed certainly played a role in the level of discrimination LGBTQ+ servicemembers faced. Some managed to avoid most of the discrimination by being stationed abroad during this era. Serving in the Air Force from 1968 to 1972 as a dental technician, Charles Maser felt he didn’t experience much prejudice as a gay man in the military as he was stationed in Germany and Spain for the majority of his military service.
Maser, Charles. Interview by Mary Merriman and Mark Stoner, 8 May 2014. LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. Archives and Special Collections, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA.
Two photos of smiling man standing indoors.
(Left) Charles in his barracks room at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 1968; (Right) Charles wearing his dental lab smock, 1968.
Two photos of man standing in front of buildings.
(Left) Charles at St. Peter’s Square, Rome, 1971; (Right) Charles beside the Colosseum, Rome, 1971.
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P.O. Box 5629
Harrisburg, PA 17110

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info@centralpalgbtcenter.org

© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • The Long Road
    • Beginning >
      • Early Experiences
    • Philadelphia >
      • Philadelphia Part 2
    • Harrisburg >
      • Harrisburg Experiences
    • Lancaster >
      • Lancaster Experiences
    • York >
      • York Experiences
    • Allentown
    • Montgomery >
      • Montgomery Experiences
      • Montgomery Part 2
    • Work Continues >
      • Current Challenges
    • Acknowledgments
  • With Open Hearts & Open Arms
    • Gay LIfe in Pre-Castro Cuba/Homophobia/What's In a Name? Part 1
    • What's in a Name? Part 1 Continued/UMAP/Mattachine Society
    • Leftist Gays in the US/The Mariel Boatlift
    • The Mariel Boatlift Part 2/Resettlement Camps
    • Resettlement Continued/Press Coverage
    • Immigration/What's In a Name? Part 2
    • LGBTQ+ Organizing
    • The Mariel Generation/Life in PA
    • The Eromin Center/Impact of AIDS
    • AIDS in Cuba/LGBTQ+ Rights in Cuba
    • Acknowledgements
  • Stories of Discrimination
    • Hate Crimes >
      • Anita Bryant
      • Escalating Violence
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Bookstore Bombings
    • Employment Discrimination >
      • Blacklisted
      • "Moral Turpitude"
      • Elected
      • Traumatized and penalized
      • Other Stories of Employment Discrimination
    • Transgender Discrimination >
      • High School Experiences
      • Other Stories of Transgender Discrimination
    • Housing and Property Discrimination >
      • Vision of Hope MCC
    • Conclusion
  • We Believe?
    • Early Expereriences
    • Coming Out
    • LGBTQ+ Groups >
      • Religious Life
      • Social Life
      • Political Life
    • Faith and Identity
    • LGBTQ+ Clergy
    • Responses: Backlash
    • Responses: Acceptance
    • Looking Forward
  • Duty, Honor, Pride
    • Vietnam War Era >
      • Investigations
    • Post-Vietnam Experiences
    • "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy >
      • Personal Experiences
      • Criticisms
      • Repeal
    • Closing >
      • Citations
  • History of LGBTQ+ Bars
    • Bars of the 1950s & 1960s
    • Bars of the 1970s
    • Bars of the 1980s
    • Bars of the 1990s & 2000s
    • Harrisburg, PA
    • Lancaster, PA
    • York, PA
    • Bar Spotlights >
      • 400 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg: Pre-Raids
      • Johnny Kobler's
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Friendly Bars of the 1960s
      • The Neptune Lounge
      • The Strawberry Inn
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1970’s
      • Silhouette/D-Gem
      • Shadows
      • The Archives
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1980’s
      • Harrisburg LGBTQ+ Bars of the 1990/2000’s
      • Village Tavern Night Club
      • Tally-Ho Tavern/ The Loft
      • Railroad House Bar
      • The Fiddler
      • Sundown Lounge
      • Altland’s Ranch
      • Town Tavern
      • 14 Karat Room
  • Gender Identity and Gender Expression
    • Terminology
    • Early Years: Impersonation
    • Entertaining for a Cause
    • Gender During Gay LIberation
    • Medical Classification
    • Rise of Publications and Organizations
    • The 1990s
    • Advocacy and Visibility
    • Expansion of Organizations and Activities >
      • Oral Histories and Photos
    • Where We Are Now
  • LGBTQ+ Art and Artists
    • Jude Sharp
    • Paul Foltz
    • Inspired
    • Aries and the Gay Era
  • The Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus
    • What is the Pennsylvania Rural Gay Caucus? >
      • PA Rural Gay Caucus Education Committee
    • Where were these groups located?
    • Gay Lobby Day
    • Important People
    • Pushback Against Opposition
    • What Happened to the Caucus?
  • Early LGBTQ+ Activism
    • Life Before Stonewall
    • Who's Who?
    • Richard Schlegel
    • Social Organizations
    • Effects of Stonewall on Central PA
    • Political Organizing
    • Rifts in the Movement
    • Read All About It!
  • Coming Out
    • Emily Newberry
    • Joanne Carrol
    • Amanda Hecker
    • Mara Kiesling
    • Maria Warren
    • Shaka Hudson
    • Lindsay Snowden
    • David Payne
    • Dr. Eric Selvy
    • Heidi Notario
    • Tammy de Sol
    • Cindy Lou Mitzel
    • LGBTQ+ Support Groups
  • Out on Campus
    • Acknowledgments
    • Bryn Mawr
    • HBCUs
    • Lafayette College
    • BCCC
    • Penn State
    • UPenn
    • Pitt
    • Lehigh University
    • Shippensburg University
    • HACC
  • Other Resources