"The military chaplain system was my first exposure to ecumenicity. And that has been a valuable experience for me." (Audio Interview, 58:12)
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Kenneth T. Martin
War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Unit: 501st Field Depot Service Location: Fort Knox, Kentucky (basic training); Khorat, Thailand Place of Birth: MS
Chaplain's Assistant Kenneth Martin, who served in the Vietnam War, carried a secret during his time in the Army. He had realized at an early age that he was gay, but he stayed in the closet after being drafted in 1966. Stationed in Thailand, Martin was grateful to have a boss who showed compassion to men who had been outed and were being discharged. He had one dramatic encounter counseling a soldier on leave; he told Martin he was grieving for a fellow soldier, also his lover, who had been killed just before they were to come to Thailand. Being exposed to religions outside his Southern Baptist upbringing, including Buddhism, gave Martin new perspectives. After leaving the Army and graduating from a seminary back in the States, he came out, much to the dismay of his father, siblings, and his wife. He never reconciled with his father, but he did re-establish communications with his brothers and his ex-wife, who with her second husband were members of Martin's congregation at the time of the interview.