Maj. Alan Rogers, First Known Gay Afghanistan Casualty, Had a Graveside DADT Party
Well this is pretty bittersweet: Army Maj. Alan Rogers, the first known openly gay soldier to die while on duty in Afghanistan, was honored by friends on Saturday at his grave in Arlington National Cemetery, commemorating the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Rogers, who died in January 2008 when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, was the subject of a letter read aloud on the chamber floor in February by Virgina’s Rep. Jim Moran, which was written by a comrade who “learned that a fellow soldier was also gay, only after he was killed by an IED in Iraq. The partner of the deceased soldier wrote the unit to say how much the victim had loved the military; how they were the only family he had ever known.”
On Saturday, friends or Rogers laid a rainbow lei, flowers, and a Christmas wreath at his grave. Read one note left beside his tombstone: “Alan, we did it.”
[photos: NYDN]
I clicked the link to the New York Daily News article — this is even a bigger and sadder story. After the good major was killed, the Army pressed the major’s family to refrain from discussing that he was gay. It is a very sorry state of affairs the way we as a nation treat our servicemembers and veterans. John McShame and his ilk are the very worst of humanity.
Only the good die young, I guess that explains a Senate full of such very old mean-hearted sold-their-souls members.
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Rogers was killed in Iraq. Not Afghanistan.
A gay Afghanistan causality would be Ciara Durkin. She committed suicide in 2007. At least that’s the official story. The circumstances surrounding her death are a bit murky:
http://militarytimes.com/valor.....n/3078209/
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I read about Major Alan Rogers in Sunday’s NYDaily News. It’s rare a story brings me to tears. After reading about how life started off for him; how he over came obstacle after obstacle and had a stellar career in the military and had the respect of officers who knew he was gay turned on the waterworks.
Rest in Peace, Major Rogers.
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Very sweet! Bittersweet, and very nice.