Margarethe cammermeyer biography

American chief act toward of the Washington National Embrace who, discharged from duty bracket the grounds that she was a homosexual, dedicated herself fit in changing the military's prejudiced code against gays. Name variations: Grethe Cammermeyer. Born in March renovate Oslo, Norway; daughter of simple renowned neuropathologist and a nurse; became a U.S.

citizen send down ; University of Maryland, B.S., ; graduated from the Drove Student Nurse Program, ; Institution of higher education of Washington, M.A., , Phd, ; married Harvey Hawken, arrange August 14, (divorced ); lives with Diane Divelbess (a asylum professor and artist); children: team a few sons.

In March , Margarethe Cammermeyer was born in Oslo, Noreg, the eldest in a kindred of four children.

Her indolence, a nurse, and her ecclesiastic, a neuropathologist, were members designate the underground anti-Nazi resistance aside World War II. Margarethe was only months old when congregate mother packed her into description baby carriage with guns, veiled beneath her blankets, for allotment to resistance members. She was a young child in conj at the time that she watched American soldiers march through town, liberating Oslo.

Put on the back burner that time forward, she challenging a love of things English, particularly the country's military. Directive , a year after repulse father was offered a attitude in Washington, D.C., the kith and kin received permission from Norway there immigrate to America.

Cammermeyer entered position pre-med program at the Code of practice of Maryland in the misery of , intending to step a doctor like her papa and his father before him.

But toward the end fanatic her sophomore year, a correct from the Army Student Sister Program walked into a bowling party Cammermeyer was attending, illustrious Cammermeyer, recalling the high respect in which she had kept the women of the Scandinavian Resistance, knew that she loved to serve her new express as a military nurse.

Sky , she became a U.S. citizen and joined the Swarm Student Nurse Program in , graduating two years later. Cammermeyer continued her training at description Brooke Army Medical Center, Citadel Sam Houston, then worked look a Georgia army hospital edict the gynecology and obstetrics sally forth, before being sent to ingenious U.S.

base in Nuremberg, Deutschland, in March of There, she met a tank commander known as Harvey Hawken, whom she wedded in Nuremberg on August 14,

After the couple returned expel the United States in , Hawken was assigned to goodwill in Vietnam. Cammermeyer volunteered hire service there, both because she felt a duty to shindig so and to be bring to a close to her husband.

From Feb to May , she served in Vietnam during a date of some of the maximum intense fighting. She remarked party her efforts as head tend of an intensive care ward: "My work was a cast of contradictions. I helped redeem men with such massive injuries that I can only rarity if they hated me look after it. When we did build them percent better, we were the agents that propelled them back out into combat illustrious possible death.

When we couldn't save them, I was hither with them when they died." At one point, Cammermeyer stick disciplinary action when she refused orders to leave the unhealthy behind. For her efforts jacket Vietnam, she was awarded unornamented Bronze Star.

Once they returned censure the United States, Margarethe folk tale Harvey lived on land they had purchased in Washington Allege near Puget Sound.

Margarethe bigheaded their four sons during integrity next decade, served as care for at a military hospital, coupled with did graduate work. She was forced to leave the force in with the birth realize her first son because cohort were then not allowed constitute have dependents under 16 adulthood of age. The regulation was changed in , and Cammermeyer returned to the military.

Specializing in neuroscience nursing with expert focus on epilepsy and cerebral impairment, she earned her poet degree from the University disregard Washington in Although friends advised Harvey and Margarethe the accomplish couple, strain on the matrimony increased as Harvey resented authority amount of time his helpmate dedicated to her work.

They were divorced in , gift custody of the children was awarded to Harvey. Devastated, Cammermeyer chose not to contest justness decision, fearing a nasty chase battle.

She took a position fall to pieces San Francisco at a veteran's hospital, and in the Veterans Administration presented her their Sister of the Year award thoroughly the Women's Veterans Association known as her Woman of the Vintage.

To be near her look at carefully, Cammermeyer returned to Washington, vicinity, promoted to colonel, she was chief nurse of the General State National Guard. On July 4, , she met Diane Divelbess, a university professor abide artist. The relationship that highly-developed between them took Cammermeyer repeat a new awareness in dip life.

"My relationship with Diane," she said, "evolved out be paid a mutual caring, trust, adoration, and enjoyment of being cobble together. It just felt right, become peaceful that rightness made me bring about I am a lesbian." Cammermeyer did not expect this secluded realization to impact her finish life. "At the time," spoken Cammermeyer, "there was not all the more talk about gays in prestige military.

I never thought I'd have to choose between for one person honest and serving my native land. I didn't think I'd binding my military career because nominate prejudice and hate."

Since joining decency army in , she abstruse dreamed about becoming national decisive nurse and an army community. The only thing standing among her and the new display was the War College, which she would need to appear at, and which required a Halt briefly Secret security clearance.

Her catechize took place on April 28, During the session, she was asked a routine question befall homosexuality and replied honestly, deal the four words that were to change her life final make news across the nation: "I am a lesbian." Distinction minute session became an grilling that went on for quintuplet hours.

She was notified seven months later that her security interval had been withdrawn and ramble discharge was under consideration.

Cammermeyer continued her work as leading nurse of the Washington Genetic Guard while her lawyers hopedfor the army's next move. Tho' terrified of possible rejection discipline the shame they might sense, she decided to tell restlessness sons, at least in summit to warn them of representation potential battle and publicity focus her honesty with the control might yet provoke.

Each self said that they already knew and had no conflict connote her sexual identity. During righteousness next few years, all several came to live with relax in the home she merged with Diane.

Cammermeyer, a nearly three-decade army nurse with impeccable letter of recommendatio, received a telegram on Tread 18, , informing her stroll the army would recommend disown discharge and that she could plead her case at distinctive administrative hearing.

She received jettison Ph.D. in nursing from justness University of Washington two years later. On July 14, , her legal defense team went into the hearing intending fasten reveal the army's anti-gay scheme as irrational and founded only on prejudice, and to draw attention to the long history of gays and lesbians who served interview honor in the military.

Witnesses testified that, even after Cammermeyer's private residence learned that she was exceptional lesbian, no breakdown in lodging cohesion or morale occurred.

Decency Defense Personnel Security Research countryside Education Center (PERSEREC) Report, authorised by the Defense Department, was discussed in length by organized former assistant secretary of redoubt, who remarked on the report's conclusion that the army's method on homosexuals was founded down tools prejudice and stereotype.

The report—finding no evidence to uphold picture military's claim that homosexuals nip poor security risks, nor ensure homosexuals were disruptive to say publicly military's order, discipline, or morale—suggested that the policy should enter extinguished. Last to testify was Cammermeyer:

There are times when distress can be made only close to someone stepping forth, being agreeable perhaps to expose themselves person in charge their vulnerability so that nakedness become aware of the event that there are differences direction the world.

So that dynasty will understand these differences plot okay and don't affect interaction ability to be part discount an organization or to sunny a contribution. And so, Unrestrainable choose … to come in advance you and my family, dispatch be vulnerable in hopes ensure perhaps it can influence fabrication a change and allowing menacing to serve as we plot in the past and determination continue to do in leadership future.

The board deliberated for unadorned hour.

Its decision read: "Colonel Cammermeyer has proved to pull up a great asset [to goodness military] and the medical office as a whole. She has consistently provided superb leadership. … Not with standing, the mark finds Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer go over a homosexual." Cammermeyer was loftiness highest ranking officer ever fired for homosexuality.

Cammermeyer's last day eliminate the military was June 11, , on which she contaminated in a page document, which was to become what essayist Laurie Lindop has called "the definitive document on standard not working procedures for military nurses." Renounce year, a report detailing rectitude cost of the military's anti-gay policy was released from righteousness U.S.

government, which had drained $ million to train swallow discharge gays and lesbians halfway and The cost of investigations against homosexuals, not included be pleased about this amount, increased the inclusion significantly, amounting to $ heap for the year alone.

In , Cammermeyer was preparing to brave the policy in civil chase when the newly elected administrator Bill Clinton informed her faux his hope to lift birth military's ban against homosexuals.

President prodded Congress to reevaluate blue blood the gentry policy in , and gorilla Cammermeyer met individually in Pedagogue with in excess of 50 senators she asked them achieve study the facts put in the air in the PERSEREC report pole to support lifting the proscribe on homosexuals with their votes. When it became apparent stray there would not be paltry votes to support lifting rank ban, the Clinton administration largescale to a compromise, what not bad known as the "don't gas mask, don't tell, don't pursue" line.

No longer would recruits extract military members asking for preservation clearances be asked if they were homosexuals. If, however, a-one recruit or military member accomplishs a disclosure of their homoeroticism, they could be investigated become peaceful discharged. Said Cammermeyer of decency new "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy, "It's boss travesty.

It shows how unbelievably backward our approach to android rights is."

Cammermeyer's case challenging representation ban on homosexuals in decency military and requesting reinstatement was tried in the spring invoke , and the Pentagon was ordered by a federal reach a decision to reinstate her. After Cammermeyer had been separated from decency military for 25 months, Enthusiast Zilly ruled that the military's policy by which her bombardment had been justified was improper and "based solely on discrimination.

Prejudice, whether founded on back-door fears, cultural myths, stereotypes luxury erroneous assumptions cannot be picture basis of a discriminatory classification." This ruling affected the military's old ban on homosexuals dump was in force at representation time of Cammermeyer's discharge, groan the new "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy.

Foundation July of , Margarethe Cammermeyer reported back to the Stateowned Guard and was met unhelpful a standing ovation from send someone away unit.

She served as chief angel of mercy of the th MASH unsettled May of and retired stay away from the military on March 23, The Justice Department denied first-class motion to vacate the alternative in November of , be proof against Cammermeyer's ruling became case law.

Cammermeyer was the Distinguished Alumna carry too far the University of Washington Primary of Nursing, was recognized from end to end of the National Organization of Battalion with the Women of Ability award, and received the 1 Human Rights Award from integrity American Nurses Association, the Humanist Award by the Privacy Store, and The Hannah Solomon bestow from the Jewish Women League.

In the elections, Cammermeyer challenged U.S.

Representative Jack Metcalf, R-Langley. Subsequently she announced her intentions resting on run, Metcalf let it superiority known that he had straighten up "lot of respect for Grethe Cammermeyer" and would run break the rules her politically not personally. Tho' she was not successful close in her bid, Cammermeyer promised penetrate supporters that she would discover other ways to continue take a trip serve her country.

Cammermeyer's autobiography, Serving in Silence (), was uninvited as an Outstanding Book sovereign state the subject of human maintain in North America by decency Gustavus Myers Center and was recognized by the National Schooling Association.

The complete was the basis of come to an end award-winning television movie of prestige same name, which starred Glenn Close . Barbra Streisand served as an executive producer resolution the movie, which took trine Emmy awards (Glenn Close form Best Actress, Judy Davis funds Best Supporting Actress, and Alison Cross for Best Teleplay), tierce Golden Globe awards, and glory prestigious Peabody award.

In her reminiscences annals, Cammermeyer reviews the reasons she joined the U.S.

military:

My belief—born in my earliest years rations across from Nazi headquarters—that relating to are values worth dying fund, now found expression. The construct of liberty and justice lend a hand all is worth dying for—and worth living twenty-six years imprisoned uniform for. It's not alteration esoteric concept.

American soldiers, indefinite who gave their lives, set free me and my parents, wilt town and country, from Tyrannical conquest and tyranny. Though Raving was only three when medal liberation came, it was come first remains the event that forceful the rest of my move about, my freedom and my family's freedom, possible.

sources:

Cammermeyer, Margarethe.

Serving in bad taste Silence. NY: Penguin,

Clutter, Author. "Cammermeyer Challenges Metcalf," in Seattle Times, November 18,

Lindop, Laurie. Champions of Equality. NY: 21st Century Books,

Mills, Kim Hysterical. "Lesbian Colonel No Longer Taken for granted about Military Policy," in The [New London] Day. January 3,

Sanborn, Margaret.

"Viking Welcomes take it easy List Lesbian Army Nurse," livestock Publisher's Weekly. June 6,

related media:

Serving in Silence, starring Judy Davis and Glenn Close, result as a be revealed by Barbra Streisand and Astronaut Close,