"I was lying in order to enlist in the military and serve my country, while there were some of my contemporaries who were lying to avoid serving in the military." (Video interview, 4:52)

Nathaniel Glover Butler

Nathaniel Butler [detail from video] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Navy Unit: USS Ticonderoga Service Location: Pacific; California; Vietnam Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade Place of Birth: MA

Graduating from college in 1968, Nathaniel Butler decided to enlist in the Navy rather than face the uncertainty of a draft assignment. In addition to the inherent challenges that came with serving during the Vietnam era, he also struggled as a gay man in an intolerant environment. Despite his strong sense of the injustice of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, he maintains positive feelings about his time in the Navy, and is glad to have served.