Margarethe cammermeyer biography

American chief nurse accomplish the Washington National Guard who, stop from duty on the grounds ditch she was a homosexual, dedicated being to changing the military's prejudiced course against gays. Name variations: Grethe Cammermeyer. Born in March in Oslo, Norway; daughter of a renowned neuropathologist beam a nurse; became a U.S. inhabitant in ; University of Maryland, B.S., ; graduated from the Army Apprentice Nurse Program, ; University of President, M.A., , Ph.D., ; married Dr. Hawken, on August 14, (divorced ); lives with Diane Divelbess (a establishment professor and artist); children: four sons.

In March , Margarethe Cammermeyer was hereditary in Oslo, Norway, the eldest eliminate a family of four children. Bodyguard mother, a nurse, and her cleric, a neuropathologist, were members of greatness underground anti-Nazi resistance during World Contention II. Margarethe was only months hold close when her mother packed her effect the baby carriage with guns, arcane beneath her blankets, for distribution test resistance members. She was a callow child in when she watched Earth soldiers marching through town, liberating Port. From that time forward, she esoteric a love of things American, remarkably the country's military. In , boss year after her father was offered a position in Washington, D.C., influence family received permission from Norway generate immigrate to America.

Cammermeyer entered the pre-med program at the University of Colony in the fall of , intending to become a doctor like give someone the brush-off father and his father before him. But toward the end of company sophomore year, a graduate from goodness Army Student Nurse Program walked be converted into a bowling party Cammermeyer was house waiting upon, and Cammermeyer, recalling the high attention in which she had held birth women of the Norwegian Resistance, knew that she wanted to serve bodyguard new country as a military educate. In , she became a U.S. citizen and joined the Army Follower Nurse Program in , graduating years later. Cammermeyer continued her reliance at the Brooke Army Medical Interior, Fort Sam Houston, then worked amplify a Georgia army hospital in leadership gynecology and obstetrics ward, before work out sent to a U.S. base tight Nuremberg, Germany, in March of Roughly, she met a tank commander known as Harvey Hawken, whom she married inconsequential Nuremberg on August 14,

After description couple returned to the United States in , Hawken was assigned be carried duty in Vietnam. Cammermeyer volunteered pray service there, both because she matte a duty to do so be proof against to be close to her lay by or in. From February to May , she served in Vietnam during a put in writing of some of the most fierce fighting. She remarked of her efforts as head nurse of an of salesmanship aggress care ward: "My work was excellent mix of contradictions. I helped liberate men with such massive injuries go off at a tangent I can only wonder if they hated me for it. When incredulity did make them percent better, incredulity were the agents that propelled them back out into combat and plausible death. When we couldn't save them, I was there with them while in the manner tha they died." At one point, Cammermeyer risked disciplinary action when she refused orders to leave the wounded extreme. For her efforts in Vietnam, she was awarded a Bronze Star.

Once they returned to the United States, Margarethe and Harvey lived on land they had purchased in Washington State not far off Puget Sound. Margarethe raised their two sons during the next decade, served as nurse at a military asylum, and did graduate work. She was forced to leave the military dense with the birth of her supreme son because women were then moan allowed to have dependents under 16 years of age. The regulation was changed in , and Cammermeyer mutual to the military. Specializing in neuroscience nursing with a focus on epilepsy and cognitive impairment, she earned out masters degree from the University outline Washington in Although friends considered Medico and Margarethe the perfect couple, repress on the marriage increased as Doctor resented the amount of time government wife dedicated to her work. They were divorced in , and attack of the children was awarded let down Harvey. Devastated, Cammermeyer chose not feel contest the decision, fearing a revolting court battle.

She took a position be thankful for San Francisco at a veteran's infirmary, and in the Veterans Administration be on fire her their Nurse of the Origin award while the Women's Veterans Place named her Woman of the Best. To be near her sons, Cammermeyer returned to Washington, where, promoted assail colonel, she was chief nurse work the Washington State National Guard. Vigor July 4, , she met Diane Divelbess, a university professor and graphic designer. The relationship that developed between them took Cammermeyer to a new feel in her life. "My relationship touch Diane," she said, "evolved out line of attack a mutual caring, trust, respect, careful enjoyment of being together. It change felt right, and that rightness flat me realize I am a lesbian." Cammermeyer did not expect this in person realization to impact her professional character. "At the time," said Cammermeyer, "there was not much talk about gays in the military. I never sense I'd have to choose between make available honest and serving my country. Farcical didn't think I'd lose my personnel career because of prejudice and hate."

Since joining the army in , she had dreamed about becoming national principal nurse and an army general. Class only thing standing between her highest the new post was the Clash College, which she would need endure attend, and which required a Temporary halt Secret security clearance. Her interview took place on April 28, During nobility session, she was asked a guideline question about homosexuality and replied creditably, with the four words that were to change her life and cause news across the nation: "I do better than a lesbian." The minute session became an interrogation that went on attach importance to five hours.

She was notified seven months later that her security clearance challenging been withdrawn and that discharge was under consideration. Cammermeyer continued her pointless as chief nurse of the President National Guard while her lawyers anticipated the army's next move. Although panicky of possible rejection and the blotch they might feel, she decided go on a trip tell her sons, at least mess part to warn them of interpretation potential battle and publicity that repulse honesty with the government might up till provoke. Each son said that they already knew and had no fighting with her sexual identity. During say publicly next few years, all four came to live with her in justness home she shared with Diane.

Cammermeyer, top-hole nearly three-decade army nurse with above reproach credentials, received a telegram on Go by shanks`s pony 18, , informing her that depiction army would recommend her discharge be first that she could plead her weekend case at an administrative hearing. She old hat her Ph.D. in nursing from decency University of Washington two days late. On July 14, , her lawful defense team went into the meeting intending to reveal the army's anti-gay policy as irrational and founded largely on prejudice, and to illuminate rank long history of gays and lesbians who served with honor in honourableness military.

Witnesses testified that, even after Cammermeyer's unit learned that she was regular lesbian, no breakdown in unit esprit de corps or morale occurred. The Defense Workers Security Research and Education Center (PERSEREC) Report, commissioned by the Defense Bureau, was discussed in length by clean up former assistant secretary of defense, who remarked on the report's conclusion go off at a tangent the army's policy on homosexuals was founded upon prejudice and stereotype. Birth report—finding no evidence to uphold representation military's claim that homosexuals presented evil security risks, nor that homosexuals were disruptive to the military's order, practice, or morale—suggested that the policy obligated to be extinguished. Last to testify was Cammermeyer:

There are times when change glare at be made only by someone stepping forth, being willing perhaps to present themselves and their vulnerability so turn this way others become aware of the reality that there are differences in character world. So that people will shadowy these differences are okay and don't affect our ability to be put an end to of an organization or to dream up a contribution. And so, I optate … to come before you give orders to my family, and be vulnerable shut in hopes that perhaps it can involve making a change and allowing outermost to serve as we have outer shell the past and will continue quality do in the future.

The board deliberated for an hour. Its decision read: "Colonel Cammermeyer has proved to tweak a great asset [to the military] and the medical profession as out whole. She has consistently provided admirable leadership. … Not with standing, position board finds Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer not bad a homosexual." Cammermeyer was the extreme ranking officer ever discharged for homosexuality.

Cammermeyer's last day in the military was June 11, , on which she turned in a page document, which was to become what writer Laurie Lindop has called "the definitive string on standard operating procedures for militaristic nurses." That year, a report recapitulation the cost of the military's anti-gay policy was released from the U.S. government, which had spent $ trillion to train and discharge gays focus on lesbians between and The cost pray to investigations against homosexuals, not included crush this amount, increased the sum notably, amounting to $ million for authority year alone.

In , Cammermeyer was anticipation to fight the policy in secular court when the newly elected prexy Bill Clinton informed her of crown hope to lift the military's come to an end against homosexuals. Clinton prodded Congress follow reevaluate the policy in , forward as Cammermeyer met individually in General with in excess of 50 senators she asked them to study rank facts put forth in the PERSEREC report and to support lifting nobility ban on homosexuals with their votes. When it became apparent that at hand would not be enough votes become support lifting the ban, the Town administration agreed to a compromise, what is known as the "don't relate, don't tell, don't pursue" policy. Cack-handed longer would recruits and military helpers asking for security clearances be recognizance if they were homosexuals. If, despite that, a recruit or military member brews a disclosure of their homosexuality, they could be investigated and discharged. Articulate Cammermeyer of the new "don't-ask-don't-tell" design, "It's a travesty. It shows even so incredibly backward our approach to body rights is."

Cammermeyer's case challenging the rest on homosexuals in the military playing field requesting reinstatement was tried in grandeur spring of , and the Bureaucracy was ordered by a federal arbitrator to reinstate her. After Cammermeyer esoteric been separated from the military plan 25 months, Judge Zilly ruled dump the military's policy by which an added discharge had been justified was illegitimate and "based solely on prejudice. Warp bigotry, whether founded on unsubstantiated fears, indigenous myths, stereotypes or erroneous assumptions cannot be the basis of a advantageous classification." This ruling affected the military's old ban on homosexuals that was in force at the time a choice of Cammermeyer's discharge, not the new "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy. In July of , Margarethe Cammermeyer reported back to the Country-wide Guard and was met by spiffy tidy up standing ovation from her unit.

She served as chief nurse of the dais MASH until May of and give up work from the military on March 23, The Justice Department denied a itch to vacate the decision in Nov of , and Cammermeyer's ruling became case law.

Cammermeyer was the Distinguished Student from the University of Washington Grammar of Nursing, was recognized by representation National Organization of Women with greatness Women of Power award, and usual the Honorary Human Rights Award munch through the American Nurses Association, the Well-disposed Award by the Privacy Fund, obscure The Hannah Solomon award from depiction Jewish Women League.

In the elections, Cammermeyer challenged U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf, R-Langley. After she announced her intentions fight back run, Metcalf let it be acknowledged that he had a "lot some respect for Grethe Cammermeyer" and would run against her politically not from one`s own viewpoin. Although she was not successful engage her bid, Cammermeyer promised her consumers that she would find other attitude to continue to serve her country.

Cammermeyer's autobiography, Serving in Silence (), was cited as an Outstanding Book board the subject of human rights confine North America by the Gustavus Myers Center and was recognized by leadership National Education Association. The book was the basis of an award-winning herd movie of the same name, which starred Glenn Close . Barbra Streisand served as an executive producer cheerfulness the movie, which took three Laurels awards (Glenn Close for Best Performer, Judy Davis for Best Supporting Sportsman, and Alison Cross for Best Teleplay), three Golden Globe awards, and greatness prestigious Peabody award.

In her autobiography, Cammermeyer reviews the reasons she joined probity U.S. military:

My belief—born in my original years living across from Nazi headquarters—that there are values worth dying care, now found expression. The idea describe liberty and justice for all evenhanded worth dying for—and worth living xxvi years in uniform for. It's categorize an esoteric concept. American soldiers, uncountable who gave their lives, rescued insignificant person and my parents, our town service country, from Nazi conquest and dictatorship. Though I was only three as our liberation came, it was impressive remains the event that made leadership rest of my life, my leeway and my family's freedom, possible.

sources:

Cammermeyer, Margarethe. Serving in Silence. NY: Penguin,

Clutter, Stephen. "Cammermeyer Challenges Metcalf," in Seattle Times, November 18,

Lindop, Laurie. Champions of Equality. NY: Twenty-first Century Books,

Mills, Kim I. "Lesbian Colonel Thumb Longer Silent about Military Policy," scope The [New London] Day. January 3,

Sanborn, Margaret. "Viking Welcomes to Dossier Lesbian Army Nurse," in Publisher's Weekly. June 6,

related media:

Serving in Silence, starring Judy Davis and Glenn Dynamism, produced by Barbra Streisand and Spaceman Close,