The history behind famous ‘Gay Vietnam Veteran’ headstone

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The history behind famous ‘Gay Vietnam Veteran’ headstone
By Sarah Sicard
Jun 16, 03:05 PM
Leonard Matlovich's grave stone is a fixture at the Congressional Cemetery. (Wikimedia Commons)

In Southeast Washington there is a Congressional Cemetery that serves as the final resting place for nearly 70,000 “noteworthy citizens who left their mark on the city and the nation.”

And while many of the plot’s occupants were Founding Fathers or lawmakers from the Revolutionary War era, there is one more recently interred man whose tombstone is noteworthy because it doesn’t actually bear his name.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT (Join to see)] Sgt (Join to see) PV2 Larry Sellnow SPC Gary C. SPC (Join to see) Amn Dale Preisach SGT Ruben Lozada 1SG Patrick Burke PO2 Marco Monsalve Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Kim Patterson SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth SFC Ralph E Kelley PV2 Scott M. PO1 Lyndon Thomas CPL Patrick Ras