LGBT VETERANS WALL OF HONOR
The Benjamin F. Dillingham, III and Bridget Wilson LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor recognizes LGBTQ veterans with ties to San Diego who served under anti-LGBTQ policies, preventing their ability to serve, as well as those who have served after the ending of those policies. These veterans have taken the oath to serve our country and have done so honorably, and with distinction, acting as role models in advancing equality. The LGBT Veterans Wall commemorates these veterans’ lives in hopes that their courage, bravery and sacrifices will continue to inspire future generations.
Benjamin F. Dillingham, III and Bridget Wilson LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor
The Benjamin F. Dillingham, III and Bridget Wilson LGBT Veterans Wall of Honor recognizes LGBTQ veterans with ties to San Diego who served under anti-LGBTQ policies, preventing their ability to serve, and serve safety and openly, as well as those who have served after the ending of those policies. These veterans have taken the oath to serve our country and have done so honorably, and with distinction, acting as role models in advancing equality. The LGBT Veterans Wall commemorates these veterans’ lives in hopes that their courage, bravery and sacrifices will continue to inspire future generations.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024 Veterans Wall of Honor Induction Ceremony.
2024 Media Coverage
- November 26, 2024 – American Homefront Project | LGBTQ vets celebrate their progress, but also worry Trump may reverse it
- November 12, 2024 – KPBS | San Diego LGBTQ+ veterans honor service overcoming decades of discrimination
- November 11, 2024 – KPBS | The impact of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ on LGBTQ+ veterans
- November 11, 2024 – KPBS | Immigrant rights; It’s Veterans Day, and commemorations are happening all over San Diego
The 2024 Nomination Form has closed as of July 1, 2024.
Past Honorees
Guido J. Casari Jr. (he/him), USAF (deceased)
Jerry Turner (he/him), USAF
Robert L. Granat (he/him), USA
Pele Crone (she/her), USA
Randye Hedgecoke (she/her), USMC
Jessie Black (she/her), USAF
James Edward Velberg (he/him), USN (deceased)
Daniel Kenneth Baggett, USN (he/him)
Moses G Beeman II, USMC (he/him)
Roger C. Cornell, MD, USAF (he/him)
Jimm Crouch, USN (he/him)
Michael A. Dwyer, USA (he/him)
Melissa Johnson, USAF (she/her)
Carl Francis Moccafiche, USA (he/him)
Turquoise Teagle, USN (they/them)
Romie Lee Wilford, USN (he/they)
Michele Adair (she/her), USN
Donald Brickel (he/him), USA (deceased)
Maria Fabunan (they/she), USA
Kelly G. Gilliland (he/him), USN
Janessa Goldbeck (she/her), USMC
Tiffany Gonzalez (she/her), USN
Mike Goupill (he/him), USN
Darrell Netherton (he/him), USA
Ronald Thrun (he/him), USAF
Bobby Vannoy (he/him), USN (deceased)
Barbara Jean Crusberg, USMC (deceased)
Lynn Pender, USN
Jose Rivera III, USN
Tristan Sotomayor, USN
Click to view biographies.
Eugene Burkard, USAF
Lee Lozano-Osier, USN
Jackson Redmond, USA
Gary Wayne Rees, USN (deceased)
Wallace Bruce Shank, Jr., USAF
Ruby Sola, USN
Frank Stiriti, USN
Eva Belanger, USAF
Courtland Hirschi, USMC (deceased)
Alva Smithson, USN
Norman Braxton, USN
James “Clay” Kilpatrick, USMC
Robert G. Wheeler, USAF
Thomas Carpenter, USMC
George Robert Pedrick, USN
Will Williams, USN
James Cassidy, USN
James Seal, USAF
Robert Bettinger, USA
Nic Herrera, USA
John Lockhart, USN
Justin Brent, USA
Zander Keig, USCG
Craig Alan Morgan, USN
Wayne Elias Dietz Jr., USN
Robert John Leyh, USN
Roger Greenseth, USA
Judith Litzenberger, USN
Joanna (Gasca) Sansoterra, USAF
Scott P. Lawry, USN
Allen R. Schindler, Jr, USN
Dennis E. Howard, USN
Edwin O. Lohr, USAF
Jeff Underwood, USN
Arthur J. Kelleher, USN
Sean R. Redmond, USAF
Craig A. Wilgenbusch, USN
William E. Kelly, USAF
Sean M. Sala, USN
Veronica Zerrer, USA
Mitchel Eugene Cantrell, USA (deceased)
Camille Emily Davidson, USAF
Gordon K. Wahl, USAF (deceased)
Diane M. “Semo” Cimochowicz, USN
Jackie K. Jackson, USN
Donna F. Walker, USN
Alberto Cortes, USN
Lester Lefkowitz, USA
Phyllis A. Daugherty, USAF
Trent Lozano-Osier, USN
Dennis Michael Fiordaliso, USN
John Carlos Keasler, USA
Thomas Joseph Seguine, USN
Robert Hall “Jess” Jessop, USN (deceased)
Robert A. Lehman, USMC
Frank Stefano, USN
Lester Lefkowitz, USA
Phyllis A. Daugherty, USAF
Jacque Atkinson, USMC
Ben Gomez, USN
Joseph Christopher Rocha, USN
John Banvard, USAA
Kathleen A. Hansen, USN
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, USMC
April F. Heinze, USN
Evelyn Lynn Thomas, USMC
Stewart Bornhoft, USA
Morgan M. Hurley, USN
Autumn Violet Sandeen, USN
Carlita “Lee” Durand, USAF
Gerard Nadeau, USAA
Shaun A. Flak, USMC
Stephen Peters, USMC
Jeri Dilno, USAF
Benjamin M. Fowler III, USA (deceased)
George Haverstick, USN (deceased0
Harvey Milk, USN (deceased)
Jim Woodward, USN
Stan Berry, USN (deceased)
Donald P. Kambic, USA
Lisa Kove, USN
Robert Lynn, USN
August Provost, USN (deceased)
Luke Terpstra, USA
Advisory committee
Sean Redmond, USAF (Ret.), Advisory Council Co-Chair
Veronica Zerrer, MAJ, USA (Ret.), Advisory Council Co-Chair
Clay Kilpatrick, Sergeant, USMC
Darrell Netherton, SP5, USA
David Root, USA
Frank Stefano, CDR, USNR (Ret.)
Evelyn Thomas, USA, USMC
Melissa Johnson, USAF
Edwin Lohr, Sgt, USAF
Turquoise Teagle, USN
Jimm Crouch, HN, USN
THE CENTER STAFF LIAISON
Aaron Ngan
He/They
Civic and Community Engagement Specialist
Karina Piu
She/Her
Policy & Advocacy Coordinator
veteranswall@thecentersd.org
Benjamin F. Dillingham, III
Benjamin F. Dillingham, III served as a member of the Marine Corps Association, the United States Armor Association and the Navy League. He was a decorated combat veteran (Vietnam) of the United States Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of Captain and received the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” and Army Commendation Medal. Among his many community awards, he was named the LGBT Veteran of the Year in 2007. He was a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard University Business School. Dillingham passed away Nov. 16, 2017. Visit the Benjamin F. Dillingham, III Memorial Page on Facebook.
Bridget Wilson
Bridget Wilson is a veteran of the enlisted ranks of the U.S. Army Reserve. She served as a judge advocate with the California State Military Reserve from 1999-2009 and has been a consulting counsel for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network since 1994. Ms. Wilson is a member of American Veterans for Equal Rights, the National Guard Association of California and AmVets. She has taught Military Justice as an adjunct faculty member at Thomas Jefferson School of Law (2007).