An 89-year-old former corpsman has had his discharge papers changed from “undesirable” to “honourable”, seventy years after he was expelled from the navy for being gay.
The Associated Press reports that the World War II veteran, Melvin Dwork, was notified last month that he would now be eligible for benefits he had previously been denied, including medical care and a military burial.
The move is thought to be the first time the Pentagon has taken such a step on behalf of a WWII veteran, since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Dwork spent decades fighting his discharge status, which involved filing countless requests with the Navy, travelling to Washington, lobbying lawmakers and hiring a law firm to help him.
As a result of his discharge, he was denied GI benefits to continue his studies as a young man and was denied medical care in his later years, resulting in him being unable to afford a hearing aid.
It is not yet clear if Dwork will receive the benefits he missed out on over a lifetime.
The repeal of DADT is set to officially take effect on Tuesday.
