Air Force veteran Jeri Dilno realized she was a lesbian at a young age. She still decided to enlist in the military in the late 1950s, even though she knew it was risky. Back then, people who identified as LGBTQ were banned from serving openly.
Jeri eventually got her discharge status changed and was able to access her benefits as a veteran. She went on to help other LGBTQ veterans also upgrade their discharge status.
She died in February 2024, at age 87. But in 2013, she came to StoryCorps with her friend, Andrea Villa to remember her time in the military.
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