Sgt. Leonard Matlovich’s Grave

Isaac Fitzgerald bio ↓  ·  May 18th, 2009  ·  filed under Other

sgt-leonard-matlovich1

I believe this to be the saddest headstone I have ever seen (click the image to enlarge). It belongs to Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich (1943-1988), a Vietnam War veteran, recipient of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, and advocate for equality.

Matlovich was a brave, openly gay man who fought for his country and asked nothing in return but acceptance. Now, over two decades after his death, other brave military personal continue to fight for Matlovich’s simple request: to be allowed to serve.

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Isaac Fitzgerald has been a firefighter, worked on a boat, and been given a sword by a king, thereby accomplishing three out of five of his childhood goals. He has also written for The Bold Italic, McSweeney's, Mother Jones, and The San Francisco Chronicle. He is the managing editor of The Rumpus. Follow him on Twitter. More from this author →

One Response to “Sgt. Leonard Matlovich’s Grave”

  1. Peyton Says:
    May 25th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

    Wow. The epitaph is really powerful.

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