When 1st Lt. Gina Foringer’s convoy hit a landmine in Somalia, they were caught in sniper fire. After sending her team to apprehend the sniper, they managed to escape. Foringer was awarded a Purple Heart.

Lt. Col. William Winnewisser served in the Army for more than 20 years, burying himself in military work, leading as a battalion commander and hoping that he would never have to dismiss a soldier solely because they were gay.

Cheryl Ann Costa, spent almost 10 years in the U.S. Mili-tary—first in the U.S. Air Force and then the Navy. She spliced cables in Vietnam, worked on nuclear submarines and kept silent about her gender identity, knowing she wouldn’t be able to serve if the military knew she was transsexual.

Joe Barrows was a Specialist in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. In 1970, he was placing electronic sensors along jungle trails south of Da Nang. Now he wonders why electronic warfare has advanced so much, but military policy concerning GLBT soldiers has not.

Without a doubt, these veterans are our nation’s heroes. According to the Urban Institute, at least 1 million GLBT veterans are living in the United States. They risk their lives, and some give their lives, while serving under a discriminatory policy.

We should remember all the service members who sacrificed their lives, and we should take a special moment to remember the GLBT soldiers who lost their lives and whose service is forgotten. They served their country proudly and honorably, but they have also served in the face of 50 years of institutionalized discrimination by the U.S. government and military against GLBT soldiers.

Let’s honor their lives and service. Let’s also vow to do what we can to ensure that others who serve with untold courage don’t have to also carry with them the weight of serving in silence.

With the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban in effect and regulations that allow discharges based on gender identity, the service of hundreds of thousands of GLBT Americans is being lost.

We must talk to our friends, our families and our co-workers about the discrimination that exists. Approximately 10,000 service members—serving in every aspect of the military—have been discharged in 10 years under "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." These discharges have cost taxpayers between $250 million and $1.2 billion.

Our national security is at risk, our economy is suffering and Americans are risking their lives daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. But unjustifiable policies are still in place that dismiss hundreds of highly skilled soldiers every year and preclude the service of so many more who know they cannot sacrifice their personal lives to serve their country.

According to a December 2003 Gallup Poll, 79 percent of Americans believe that openly gay people should serve in the U.S. military. We need to make sure that sentiment makes its way to Capitol Hill and the President.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the Human Rights Campaign and American Veterans for Equal Rights recently published a compilation of veterans’ stories. Documenting Courage: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Veterans Speak Out contains accounts of brave GLBT soldiers who served in the face of discriminatory law and regulations.

Documenting Courage (available at www.hrc.org/documentingcourage) is a great tool not only to remember the valor of GLBT veterans, but also to get the conversation started. Give it to family members, friends and co-workers and talk to them about the discrimination GLBT soldiers face. And then get them to take the next step—talk to their members of Congress about how current law and regulations are wrong.

It’s time for American soldiers who are risking their lives for the freedom of others to also be given their own freedom. SLDN, HRC and AVER will stand together until that day becomes a reality. But we can’t do it alone. Your voices are key to winning this battle. Join us today.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) is a national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" and related forms of intolerance.