Jack Strouss is
90 Years Old
by
Danny Ingram
President,
American
Veterans For Equal Rights |
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June 23rd was Jack Strouss's 90th
birthday. Jack's granddaddy fought in the Civil War, and not many people
can say that. Jack's great uncle Clement was General
Clement A. Evans, whose portrait hangs in the Georgia
State Capitol.
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A native of Atlanta, Georgia,
Jack W. Strouss is a quintessential Southern
gentleman who can “charm the spots off a leopard”,
according to some of his friends. Born June 24,
1923, Jack attended public schools in Atlanta and
graduated from Technological High School in 1942.
Jack’s father lost his job during the Great
Depression, and like many families at the time,
everyone pulled together and found entrepreneurial
ways of keeping the family together, including
sharing what little they had with those who had even
less. Jack’s experience of those difficult days
gives him an excellent perspective on the challenges
faced by Americans in the current economic crisis.
After graduating from high school, Jack felt
compelled to serve his country following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corp in October,
1942.
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Jack served in the 15th
US Army in the European Theater during the war,
commanded first by Lt. General Leonard T. Gerow, a
close friend of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and
later by General George S. Patton following the
German surrender and the end of European
hostilities. Jack has a whole cache of great
stories about the often controversial General
Patton, including a tale of soldiers coming to
attention and saluting the General’s staff car as it
passed by, only to discover that the vehicle
contained no more than Patton’s dog, Willy. Jack
continued to serve in the 15th Army
following the tragic death of Patton in an
automobile accident, and served in the US Army of
Occupation before returning to civilian life in
1946.
One of Jack’s most memorable
experiences of his service in World War II was the
torpedoing and subsequent sinking of his troop
transport by a Nazi submarine as it crossed the
English Channel in route to Normandy. “We had to
abandon ship just before dark”, recalls Jack, “and
this was accomplished by us jumping from the deck of
our sinking transport onto the deck of a small Free
French frigate that had pulled alongside. After our
ship was abandoned another torpedo stuck the ship
and she went to the bottom. The tiny frigate was so
small that we had to stand shoulder to shoulder on
the deck in the freezing cold December air, to avoid
going into the water, which was equally cold. To
this day I am especially grateful to that heroic
French crew who saved my life, and I always like to
say ‘thank you’ to anyone I meet from that
country”.
After completing his military
service Jack returned home where he attended
Oglethorpe University and Georgia State University,
both in Atlanta.
In the 1950’s Jack entered
into U.S. Civil Service where he worked first for
the Treasury Department and later for the U.S. Civil
Service Commission itself, where he worked in
testing and grading of individuals entering the
Service. At that time the infamous McCarthy
Hearings were underway in the US Senate along with
the intense searches it spawned for presumed
Communist infiltrators in all branches of any
government agency and beyond. Jack was investigated
in the witch hunts due to his sexual orientation.
Eventually he was visited in his office by federal
agents who led him down the hall to another office
for questioning. To this day Jack does not know if
they were from the investigating agency of the Civil
Service or the F.B.I. Regardless, the agents led
Jack back to his own office where he was ordered to
collect his personal belongings and ordered to
leave. His career with the US government was over.
“All things work out for the
good at times if one is patient and in the right”,
says Jack of his firing from his job just because he
was gay. “Many thousands were caught up in that
terrible witch hunt that eventually led to the
censoring of the Senator and the disgrace of some
of his staff. I am still awaiting an apology from
my government for this unfortunate treatment of a
law-abiding veteran of WWII whose civil rights were
violated in a most unfortunate manner. I am patient
still.”
Following his termination from
the federal government, Jack found a job through a
close friend with a national Motion Picture Film
distribution firm where he worked for 27 years,
eventually ending that career as manager of the
company’s Southeastern Branch in Atlanta. When the
company ceased operations in branch offices Jack
completed his final eight years up to retirement
working at the Atlanta Journal/Constitution
Newspaper, which remains the largest circulated
daily newspaper in north Georgia. “Again thru the
auspices of a good friend in management at the
newspaper who recommended me for a position”, says
Jack. “This was a delightful organization in which
to work and be a contributing part. It was icing on
the cake, so to speak, of my working career years.”
Following retirement Jack
began volunteer work during the AIDS crisis of the
1980’s and 90’s, assisting patients through his
church Aids Ministry and AID Atlanta, a local agency
coordinating support services throughout the metro
Atlanta area. For some 22 years he delivered weekly
meals through Atlanta’s Meals On Wheels program for
a local organization catering to the elderly in
retirement homes.
Jack’s hobby and lifetime
endeavor has been in the field of music. “I am
basically a composer though I have been a singer and
cantor in The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer most
of my adult life until the last 3 years when age
took over and the voice left”, says Jack of his
first love. “I am still composing in traditional
classical forms, mostly art songs though I have some
piano works and vocal works including my largest
work, a setting of the Mass. This I worked on for
over 20 years, off and on and still am polishing a
bit here and there. Trying to be a perfectionist
and getting things just right is often more
difficult than the initial laying out of a work, at
least it is for me.”
Jack continues to be active in
the LGBT community in Atlanta. Jack has been one of
the most faithful members of AVER's Georgia
Chapter. In past years on Memorial Day, Jack
meticulously helped fold the flag as it was retired
from its year of service, but we give him a break
now and allow him to "coordinate" from a more
comfortable location.
No AVER participation
in Atlanta’s annual Pride Parade could take place
without Jack waving to the crowd from his vehicle
where he rides along with veterans from other wars.
It is amazing to see the crowd
react to Jack when he rides by in the parade.
People are so moved and inspired by him. We see
people stand up from their chairs when he passes by,
and veterans in the crowd salute him. It’s really
very moving.
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In 2008 Servicemembers Legal
Defense Network honored Jack Strouss with its first
ever Atlanta Service Award. Jack continues to be on
the front line of the struggle for LGBT rights,
especially in the struggle for military freedom.
In June, 2010, Jack placed a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National
Cemetery along with two other distinguished
gay World War II veterans, AVER Life Members
Dr. Frank Kameny and Rev. Dr. John McNeill. |
In September, 2011, AVER held a Retreat
ceremony to mark the last day of military service
under DADT. Jack spoke at that event, and the video
of his speech was viewed on Youtube by over 14,000
people. |
Jack is
one my dearest friends. In recent years when I have
experienced personal challenges and painful times,
Jack has been someone I could always turn to. When
I think of the man I really want to be, Jack is the
one who comes to mind. He is such a wonderful gift
in my life, and I wanted to share that gift with all
of you, on the auspicious occasion of his 90th
birthday.
Here's
hoping the Supreme Court gave Jack a great big
birthday present!
© 2013 Gay Military Signal, AVER