We are not saying that because people are too short or too tall, or mentally deficient or physically deficient somehow or another, that their personal worth is something less; we are just saying that they do not fit in. And if you want to start breaking down those barriers and trying to make people fit in where I do not think they belong, you are going to hurt the United States military. I have three sons … and if the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military were dropped, I would counsel all three of my sons to stay out of the military. Absolutely. My oldest son Scott is a student at the University of Maryland. He is just about to graduate. If he were to walk into a recruiter’s office, it would be the recruiter’s dream come true. He is 6 foot 1, blue-eyed, blond hair, great student. But if he were to go and seriously consider joining the military, I would have to, number one, personally counsel against it, and number two, actively fight it. Because my son Scott is a homosexual, and I do not think there is any place for him in the military. I love him. I love him as much as I do any of my sons. I respect him, I think he is a fine person. But he should not serve in the military. And that is the strongest testimonial I think I can give.

I spent 27 years of my life in the military, and I know what it would be like for him if he went in. And it would be hell. And if he went into combat … which is the whole purpose for us being here, he would be at grave risk if he were to follow in my footsteps as an infantry platoon leader. I would be very fearful his life would be in jeopardy from his own troops. And I am not saying that is right, or wrong, whatever. I am telling you that is the way it is. You get into war, the first casualty is truth, the second is the value of human life. And fraggings, let me tell you, did not begin or end in Vietnam. Former Air Force S/Sgt.

I was born on the 17th of May, 1964, in Ticonderoga, N.Y., a small town in the Adirondack Mountains. When I was younger, I remember watching planes fly over my house from an air force base just north of Ticonderoga. Like many boys, 1 developed a fascination for planes, rockets, just about anything that flew through the air. The United States Air Force was the way to go for me … so just four weeks after my 17th birthday, I went to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for basic military training. I will never forget the day that I received my very first stripe. The rank and title of airman will always be an integral part of who I am. It is my identity. What I believe in cannot be attributed to me, but rather to the man who instilled those beliefs in me: my father. His influence, his steadfastness, even his stubbornness, provided me with the tools to build a life in the military. With a successful career established, why would I come out of the closet? When I finally stopped denying that I was gay, when I realized I was a good person, that I was normal, I finally understood that not even working 14 hours a day, pouring myself into my work, would make that struggle go away. I wanted people to see what I saw as the truth. I realized that being gay did not change who I was at all. I was still the airman first, and then a man who was gay.

This past Sunday we honored our mothers. Lately I have been wondering what my mother would have thought of me, if she were alive today. I believe Mary Paniccia would be very proud of her son and all that he has accomplished. I must believe this, not just because I am aware of what she was like as a woman and a mother, but because I cannot bear … to think of how it would feel to lose both parents over this issue. Unfortunately, right now my father doesn’t talk to me and has all but disowned me. I believe the current ban on gay Americans runs counter to the highest ideals of our military: honor and integrity, being tried and true. And today my uniforms are pressed, my combat boots are spit-shined and I am ready to serve, as I always have been. On the last day of my career, in October of last year, air force officials cut up my military ID card. The symbolism of that event absolutely overwhelmed me. Here was my identity, my actual identity, being taken away, severed. Gentlemen, the air force is more than a career, it is more than my livelihood, it is my home. And I want to go home.