Air Force Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich served from 1963 through 1975, with three deployments to Viet Nam. He received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star during his 12 years of service. The first soldier to challenge the US Military’s policy against gays serving their country, T/Sgt. Malovich was fired in Octo...ber 1975 for refusing to stop being gay. T/Sgt. Matlovich passed away in 1988.