Harvey Milk's Application for Appointment to Commissioned Rank of Ensign
11/14/1951
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In 1952, Harvey Milk – who would go on to become one of the most important leaders of the American LGBTQ rights movement – was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.
This is his application for appointment to the rank of Ensign, showing the recommendation to approve his commission and describing him as "an industrious young man...cooperative, diligent and has a deep sense of responsibility...considered very good officer material."
Milk would next be promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade), but his military career was soon to come to a close. In December 1954, Milk was questioned by Special Agents of the Office of Naval Intelligence for "suspected homosexual conduct."
In a signed statement, Milk acknowledged that he had been sexually intimate with a number of men. He submitted his resignation from the Navy under "other than honorable conditions" recognizing that he could "expect to encounter substantial prejudice in civilian life...."
This is his application for appointment to the rank of Ensign, showing the recommendation to approve his commission and describing him as "an industrious young man...cooperative, diligent and has a deep sense of responsibility...considered very good officer material."
Milk would next be promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade), but his military career was soon to come to a close. In December 1954, Milk was questioned by Special Agents of the Office of Naval Intelligence for "suspected homosexual conduct."
In a signed statement, Milk acknowledged that he had been sexually intimate with a number of men. He submitted his resignation from the Navy under "other than honorable conditions" recognizing that he could "expect to encounter substantial prejudice in civilian life...."
This primary source comes from the Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel.
National Archives Identifier: 145771929
Full Citation: Harvey Milk's Application for Appointment to Commissioned Rank of Ensign; 11/14/1951; Official Military Personnel File for Harvey B. Milk; Official Military Personnel Files, 1885 - 1998; Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group 24; National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/harvey-milk-ensign, April 27, 2025]Activities that use this document
- The Long Struggle for LGBTQ+ Civil Rights
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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