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(More customer reviews)"Honor Bound: A Gay American Fights for the Right to Serve His Country," by Joseph Steffan, is the autobiography of a man who became one of the top midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, was discharged for homosexuality, and then fought the discharge in court. The book starts with Steffan's boyhood in rural Minnesota. The author covers a number of topics as his story unfolds: the trials of "Plebe (i.e. freshman) Year," his rise up the ranks to a key leadership position among the midshipmen, his coming to grips with his own sexual orientation, the harrowing discharge process, and his legal fight.
Steffan creates a vivid portrait of life at the Naval Academy, a truly remarkable institution. He looks at the traditions and language of the Academy, as well as at the process by which the Academy molds leaders. Another important theme of the book is Steffan's overcoming of his own internalized homophobia; he goes through a process of reeducating himself on the topic of homosexuality. The book also touches on events that were relevant to Steffan's situation: the "outing" of a high ranking Pentagon official, as well as the start of the Gulf War.
This is a well-written and very interesting memoir. Steffan's authorial voice is down-to-earth and reasonable. There are some really memorable sections to the book, such as his account of a submarine training cruise. A critical theme of the book is, as the title indicates, personal honor. Steffan pays tribute to some of the other military personnel who have challenged the U. S. military's policy of excluding gay people: Leonard Matlovich, Perry Watkins, Margarethe Cammermeyer, and others. "Honor Bound" is both a fine military memoir and an important "coming out" story. As companion texts I recommend James Webb's "A Sense of Honor" (a powerful novel, set during the Vietnam War, about midshipman at the Naval Academy) and Margarethe Cammermeyer's "Serving in Silence" (another memoir of a gay person who challenged the military).
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