9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A diverse and illuminating gathering of military women's voices, October 15, 2005
This review is from: Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military (Paperback)
"Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military," by Zsa Zsa Gershick, is a compilation of interviews with lesbians who have served (and, in some cases, were still serving when interviewed) in the armed forces of the United States. The book features a foreword by Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer, the lesbian Army nurse who challenged the military's policy on homosexuality. Gershick presents chapters on 31 additional military women. Some do not use their real names, and some of the interviews feature photos of the women. The chapters alternate between two formats: (1) full-length interviews that consist of exchanges between Gershick and the women, and (2) short, one-or-two page first-person narratives from the women.
Gershick has brought together the voices of a very diverse group of military women. Both officers and enlisted women are featured. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are all represented. The women's service spans many decades. Gershick includes women who have made successful careers and retired with at least 20 years of service, as well as women who spent only a short time in uniform. There are women who successfully navigated the military's restrictions on homosexuals, as well as women who faced investigation and discharge.
The women featured in the book address many significant issues: survival tactics used by lesbians in the military; the question as to how the military's policy on gays affects officers and enlisted personnel differently; paranoia and the psychological toll taken on closeted military lesbians; the danger of surveillance and anti-lesbian "witch hunts"; facing sexual harassment from male military personnel; the challenges involved in maintaining a romantic relationship while in the military; facing interrogation; the public "coming out" of prominent gay military personnel; and former President Clinton's controversial attempt to change the military policy on homosexuality.
The women featured in the book really put compelling human faces on the very controversial gays-in-the-military issue. I especially enjoyed the interview with retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Shirley Geiling--it's a funny, sassy exchange that is often interrupted by Geiling's laughter. Also noteworthy are the comments of Air Force nurse Caroline Riso, who recalls service in Japan during the Vietnam era. Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Brenda Vosbein recalls being part of a 1994 case, _Jane Able et al v. United States of America_, that challenged the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In another powerful exchange, an Army officer discusses her concerns that her partner has access to neither the military health care system nor the officer's military retirement benefits.
My only quarrel with the book is that Gershick inserts her own opinions into her exchanges with the interviewees too often. I found some of Gershick's statements to be a distraction from the interviewees' compelling stories. Still, Gershick's instincts as an interviewer are mostly on target; consequently, the exchanges between Gershick and the interviewees are, on the whole, illuminating and powerful. "Secret Service" is an excellent contribution to American military history, and an essential resource for all those interested in the gays-in-the-military issue. As a military veteran myself, I thank and commend Gershick and all the women who contributed to this important project.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Humorous and Humbling, May 12, 2005
This review is from: Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military (Paperback)
The cover grabbed me (very sexy) and the openness of the women and their stories humbled me. Plus, the interviews were sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, and always insightful. This book is a great read that also happens to make an elegant argument for ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I loved it and would recommend it highly to anyone.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Journey of the Senses, July 11, 2005
This review is from: Secret Service: Untold Stories of Lesbians in the Military (Paperback)
Come along for a journey with the gifted author Zsa Zsa as she humbly and respectively provides the space and gentle nudge with just the right questions to open a world not often seen or heard from. In this book Zsa Zsa guides us into the lives of many Lesbian military servicemembers (both currently active duty and veterans) who reveal stories that stir the soul, bring tears to your eyes, laughter and tugs on the heart. These stories leave no emotion or sense untouched as you live a life in the moment of what it was like for these Lesbian women in the U.S. Military. As a U.S. Air Force veteran I found these stories to be compelling, thought provoking and emotionally engaging. Zsa Zsa has a brilliant talent for interviewing that allows the participants' stories to shine. A phenomenal journey that you will enjoy immensely!
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