Lesbian trailblazer recalls the risk of joining the military in the late 1950s

By Jo Corona,

Jud Esty-Kendall

Published June 20, 2025 at 4:59 AM EDT

Air Force veteran Jeri Dilno realized she was a lesbian at a young age. For StoryCorps, she discussed the risk she took joining the military in the late 1950s.

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