Leonard Matlovich, recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, then discharged from the military and excommunicated from the LDS for being gay.

On his gravestone "When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Matlovich#Legacy

From "On This Day in Mormon History:"

Sept 8, 1975 - LDS Air Force Sgt. Leonard P. Matlovich is
featured on the cover of TIME Magazine with the headline, "I Am
a Homosexual: The Gay Drive for Acceptance.” The accompanying
article makes no mention of Matlovich's Mormonism. Two months
later Matlovich is excommunicated. Matlovich served three tours
of duty in Vietnam where he received the Bronze Star, a Purple
Heart, and an Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. Sgt
Matlovich was discharged from the army for coming out. He sued
and settled for $160,000. He became a gay-rights activist and
died, from complications due to AIDS, on June 22, 1988. The
epitaph carved in his tombstone in the District of Columbia’s
Congressional Cemetery reads “When I was in the military, they
gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving
one.”

Thanks for posting that baura. So important.

Thank you for the post. For more information about Leonard, including video interviews, historical footage, etc., please see: www.leonardmatlovich.com.