9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whose conduct?, August 10, 2004
This review is from: Conduct Unbecoming (Paperback)
I was raised on military bases for much of my younger life, with a career-military father who, when this topic became a big topic in the early 1990s, said to me: 'I don't see what the big issue is with this. They were always there, and we knew that.' That was a surprise to me.
Randy Shilts, better known perhaps for his book (later constructed into a telefilm) 'And the Band Played On...', about the AIDS crisis, turned his journalistic eye and talents to one of the last great approved discriminations in America -- that of the institutionalised disapproval of the military (one of the largest economic forces in America, and one of the largest employers and providers of training and benefits) of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people within the ranks.
Shilts begins his discussion historically, looking back over the history of the United States as to how this issue has been dealt with. Actually, there isn't that much information for the longest period (1778-1954), understandably as (as the Victorians would have phrased it), the love that dared not speak its name in fact rarely did. This 750+ page tome devotes a mere 19 pages to this historical period, in which Shilts argues that there was back-and-forth acceptance and rejection of gays in the military. This perhaps is wishful thinking on his part -- one could even argue that 'gay' didn't exist in quite the same way then as now (sociologically speaking), so to address the issue then as now would be difficult to compare.
Throughout the rest of the text, Shilts examines, largely through personal stories and accounts, of how the armed forces viewed, disapproved, and rooted out military personnel suspected of same-sex activity. With an effective ruthlessness (far more effective and sometimes more ruthless than against the foreign enemies of America) the military in all branches served notice to gays and lesbians that they were not welcome in the service. At times, this turned into a witch hunt, and, as that description implies, was often more widespread and sweeping against women than men.
One character whose story serves as a framework and who turns up as an anchor point at several points in the text is Tom Dooley. Tom Dooley was a man who served with skill and dedication, becoming the youngest doctor in Navy history to receive the Legion of Merit; never one to flaunt or even to speak of his sexual preference, knowing that in general such things were not approved of in society. Yet despite his service record, he was forced out of the military for this 'fatal flaw' (he unfortunately tended to be on the effeminate side), having been given a dishonourable discharge despite his exemplary service.
Dooley, in fact, was terminally ill in the late 1950s, at the time this drama was being played out. He worried that his dishonourable discharge would follow him. Dooley in the end did get a reversal of the decision, an honourable discharge, delivered to his bedside as he lay dying, a gesture of good faith, perhaps, in 1961, but hardly worthwhile to Dooley, who most likely never recovered sufficiently to understand, or to the thousands of persecuted gays and lesbians in the military the 40 years hence who are still suffering under various policies designed to placate the majority prejudice.
Shilt's book is full of stories that sound more at home in a KGB-interrogation room than in the 'land of the free': threats and manipulation, internal surveillance and spying, coercion for confession and incrimination. In many cases the military hierarchy turns a blind eye to violence perpetrated against gays and lesbians.
Shilts does not devote much time to arguing the other side -- why should gays and a lesbians be excluded. This is perhaps the one lacking element in this large text. While reasons arise in his commentary and in the personal stories, it is never developed as a coherent theme -- he takes it for granted that the reader will readily understand the objections. There might be more integrity to the text overall if a more complete analysis would be included.
However, this is a record of dishonour, one that many institutions in many countries surely share. Regardless of one's views on homosexuality generally, and homosexual admission into the military, an element of basic human rights has to be upheld, or those violating them lose the right to claim the role of the morally justified.
This book will settle no arguments, but then, it isn't constructed to do that. It is designed to show through direct experience of men and women in the military how the policies affect human lives, both within and outside the military. This provides grist for the mill of debate. In his epilogue, Shilts discusses the ROTC debate about gay admission into the military. It seemed clear to him then, and continues to be clear, that this is an issue far from over.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent account & very well documented history., July 15, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Conduct Unbecoming (Paperback)
This book is very well written regarding the history of gays and lesbians in the U.S. military and all the problems they have faced. Additionally, Randy Shilts does an excellent job of incorporating the history of women in the military and the prejudice's they continue to face in a "manly, macho" society.
This book was well researched regarding the military's ban on gays and lesbians, their struggles and their fight against the services to continue to serve proudly in the U.S. military. Many of these fights were faught in the military's court and when exhausted, in the civilian court to ensure they were given fair treatment. All this is thouroughly documented in this classic book. Also, Shilts incorporates studies supressed by the Pentagon that unit cohesion, morale and welfare of soldiers will not be negatively affected by allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly.
Lastly, Shilts does an excellent job of incorporating different soldier's struggles and life histories into the dates and times of other soldiers.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A massive landmark in military history, March 4, 2005
This review is from: Conduct Unbecoming (Paperback)
In "Conduct Unbecoming: Gays & Lesbians in the U.S. Military," author Randy Shilts takes on one of the most controversial topics in military studies. The revised and updated paperback edition is truly a monumental work at over 800 pages. The bulk of the text deals with the years from 1954 to 1990; there is also a short prologue covering 1778 to 1954 and an epilogue dealing with the early 1990s.
In the opening "Author's Note," Shilts writes that he interviewed 1,100 people for the book; this included "military personnel, their families, and their lawyers" as well as others. He also notes that in his research he "accumulated nearly 15,000 pages in previously unreleased documents." The nitty gritty work shows in this richly detailed book, and is well documented in the endnotes.
From the raw material Shilts has fashioned a truly epic narrative. At times it reads like a novel with many characters whose stories are woven into one overarching story. The tale spans the globe and many decades. Along the way Shilts introduces many remarkable people, among them Air Force sergeant Leonard Matlovich, Army sergeant Perry Watkins, Navy midshipman Joseph Steffan, and many more.
Shilts recounts many horrific stories of surveillance, harassment, intimidation, imprisonment, and suicide. The stories are often dystopian nightmares that seem more like tales out of Nazi Germany or the USSR. But there are also accounts of personal courage and triumph which counterbalance the harsher material. Particularly fascinating is Shilts' account of the persistent gay/lesbian subculture in the military, particularly aboard naval vessels. The details of Shilts' stories are illuminating and memorable, and sometimes humorous.
Despite the book's large size, I found it to be a swift read. Shilt's style is clear, to-the-point, and a pleasure to read. Often I found the book hard to put down--a tribute to Shilts' skill as both researcher and prose stylist. With America's military personnel carrying out missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the post-9/11 world, Shilts' book takes on, in my opinion, a renewed relevance.
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