For Man and Country: Gay War Stories

The twelve stories in this collection trace the lives of homosexuals and the evolution of the military establishment's view of homosexuality -- from World War II, when homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment and hospitalization, to the present day's borderless war on terror and the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell.

The issues become personal when we meet the men who served their country with honor. Men like Chip and Kanoah in 1943, fighter pilots who have each other's back every day. Or Brazie Deschinny, who served during the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Or the two Jorges, a sniper team par excellence, serving in the Korean DMZ.

There are also the damaged ones: Arthur Frederickson who panics and shoots his Iraqi friend, or Cole and Skylor, both so traumatised by what they saw at Abu-Graib that they are now on the skids as murderers and drug addicts.

The men and their stories are sometimes sad, sometimes humorous. Most celebrate the triumph of the human will to survive and prosper. Tying these tales together is the military-industrial war machine that churns in the background, turning men into soldiers in the name of politics and money.