One year after arriving in Japan, while we were recovering from a two weeks cruise to Hong Kong, the telephone rang. This call was from the Assistant Chief of the Far East Weather Central and set in motion a series of events that would change our lives forever. He did not tell me why I was summoned to appear at the headquarters of the OSI, only when to appear. It felt ominous. I knew immediately that it was to be about something serious. Why had the Major called me instead of the Colonel himself, with whom I had a friendlier relationship? I immediately informed my wife, who shared my fear, my sense of dread. I could only guess that it might be about my extra-marital sexual activities. It was time to let her know. I had made sexual contact with an attractive young Hispanic airman named Jesus.
She was really surprised to hear this. We spoke very little during what seemed to be the longest night ever until morning when we drove to OSI headquarters in silence. Nickie waited in the car as I went into the office alone. It was a strange room that I was admitted to; a long room with no windows and walls that seemed fake; sort of like sound-proofing but wooden. There was a table at the end of the room and seated behind the desk was a handsome young man, thirtyish, even better looking than the young man that escorted me into the room. He started by reading my Miranda right to have an attorney present but kept right on talking in a very friendly tone about charges of homosexual behavior on my part. It had been reported by someone they had arrested, who “outed” me. I had always been advised by other gay people that were questioned by police to never admit guilt; to always plead innocence; yet, how quickly that went out the window. Why?
This happened during the mid sixties. I had recently received my Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I was there during the time of President Kennedy’s assassination and the Vietnamese war and was intrigued by the “flower children” movement of free-love, make love not war. I didn’t agree with the government position of forbidding service by homosexuals in the Armed Forces. They said it was because of our susceptibility to blackmail but I felt that I couldn’t be blackmailed because I would admit it if asked. So, I was already set to confess. Also, I had been told that my next duty assignment was going to be a primary assignment as a Pilot on cockpit duty, rather than flying as my secondary job. I did not want to go to Vietnam and be in a war. I had just heard that one of my friends that I flew with for three years had been killed when his plane was blown up on final approach.
After my admission of guilt, I was released and contacted an attorney on the Air Base, who told me that if I hadn’t said anything, he might have gotten me off as innocent because it would have been my word, that of a respected, married Field Grade Officer, against that of an enlisted man, who had admitted to having many homosexual partners, a teacher, the head of the Commissary, etc. all of whom had been fired. I had a choice: resign from the Air Force or request a Court-Martial and get my day in court. Because I was an officer in the regular Air Force, it would take a board of three Generals to conduct the court-martial, the official means of ending my military career.
Another night of agony followed for Nickie and me; as I wrestled with the guilt of: “Why did I say this?” “Why didn’t I ask for an attorney?” “What is going to happen to my family?” “How will I earn a living?” “Where will we live?” “Have I ruined 5 people’s lives?”