WWII veteran, 92, fought 'don't ask, don't tell'

[mahatmakanejeeves]

WWII veteran, 92, fought 'don't ask, don't tell'

Posted: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 12:17 pm | Updated: 12:15 pm, Wed Nov 12, 2014.

Associated Press

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (AP) — Like thousands of other young men in the 1940s, Rupert Starr joined the Army, fought overseas and saw his share of hardship, including several weeks as a German prisoner of war. He returned to Ohio with a Bronze Star for heroism and a secret.

Not until his service as a military man was needed once again — this time as an activist against the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy — did Starr, who is gay, slowly step out of the closet.

Now 92 and still on the go, Starr — known universally by his family nickname "Twink" — is unabashed in his support for fellow gays in the service and love for his country.

"They were saying that you could not have the courage or the nerve to be in combat and you weren't qualified then to protect your buddy, because you would give up, you'd fade or you'd die, you cry," said Starr, who was honored last weekend at a Stonewall Columbus veterans event. ... "Well, that's not true," he said. "And I can prove it."
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Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus

[meegbear]

1. The Rude Pundit wrote about him yesterday ...

The Rude Pundit - The Gay Greatest Generation Vets and How to Honor Them

I was the only Rec.