Leonard Matlovich is a name that some of our older readers might remember from the 1970s, but a man who many of us never had the chance to know.
Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich was second-generation United States Air Force.
He served three tours of duty in Vietnam where he earned two Air Force Commendations, a Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star for heroism under fire.
A smart, innovative man, he willingly put his life in grave danger to protect others. During his service in Vietnam, he even developed a nighttime lighting system for the base perimeters.
The lighting system made it difficult for North Vietnamese snipers to target personnel inside the base. Matlovich also personally repaired his lighting system during nighttime attacks.
These actions earned him the Bronze Star.
His Purple Heart came from injuries sustained while clearing mines near Da Nang.
After his tours of duty in Vietnam, he returned state-side and began teaching Air Force race relations.
On March 6th, 1975 Matlovich gave his commanding officer a letter officially revealing he was homosexual.
At the time, homosexuality was illegal in the U.S. military. The Air Force had some exceptions, such as the “Queen For A Day” rule allowing “one-time experimentation” or “extenuating circumstances” such as being drunk.
Matlovich, however, was not looking for an exception. He was gay and proud of his service.
He wanted to continue serving while also being allowed to be who he was.
By turning in that letter, Matlovich faced off with the United States Air Force and the federal government.
Predictably, and sadly, a three-member military panel ruled Matlovich unfit for service and issued him a General discharge.
If you’re not familiar, discharge from the military comes in several forms. The two most well-known are Honorable and Dishonorable. Dishonorable is basically the civilian equivalent of a felony charge.
Honorable is the highest level of discharge and allows the recipient to receive benefits and pensions.
A General discharge is slightly lower than Honorable. While veterans are entitled to most VA benefits, they are excluded from the GI Bill.
Matlovich’s base commander fought the General discharge, recommending Honorable instead.
Luckily, the Secretary of the Air Force agreed and Matlovich was honorably discharged in October 1975.
His story doesn’t end there, though. He fought the government and Air Force ban on homosexual airmen. For five years the court case dragged on until, finally in 1980, the order was made to reinstate him and give him a promotion.
While Matlovich technically won, the court failed to rule on the ban itself and thus allowed the laws against homosexual service people to remain in place.
Feeling that the Air Force would find a new reason to discharge him, Matlovich accepted a settlement instead.
Matlovich became an activist for gay rights in the early 1980s and stood shoulder to shoulder with others fighting for their rights and freedoms.
Sadly, only eight years later, he died due to complications from HIV/AIDS.
Matlovich was one of the first voices to be heard by many in the struggle for gay rights.
It was not until 2011 that restrictions on service by gay, lesbian, and bisexual personnel ended.
This is a new style of article for Pew Pew Tactical, if you liked it — let us know in the comments! If you didn’t enjoy it…well phooey. To catch up on previous Pictures From History, click on over to our History Category.
6 Leave a Reply
A history major in undergrad. I like these new articles THIS in particular! Thank you
PewPew is a great resource for gun and gear reviews. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but there have been a few odd political bent articles as of late (like this). If people want to know more about gays in the military, Africans in the world wars, etc there are plenty of other resources that are highly detailed and in depth. These types of articles bring nothing to your core audience. Get woke, go broke is not supposed to be a marketing strategy. I sincerely recommend a cursory read of Corporate Cancer or SJWs Always Lie.
Thanks for the feedback, but these are not odd politically bent pieces. They are a new series about snippets of history -- mostly as it relates to guns, gear, and the people who used them. The core audience has so far received these articles very warmly.
I have found many helpful articles on pew pew tactical, and it has been a good source of gun and gear info. But after the article on the openly gay man in the Air Force , which happened to be against regulations and common sense, I will no longer be reading your articles. There is absolutely no place in the military for social experiments. The military should be focused on defending our country as best as they can. This kind of behavior in the military is a distraction being pushed by the progressives to weaken our country both militarily and morally. I will no longer be reading your articles because of this one. I read your articles for gun and gear info, not propaganda.
Hello! I'm sorry that you're offended by historical fact and that gay people exist. Take care!
What a dumbass thought process. You're the same type of person that would have a problem with racial integration.