Lesbian trailblazer recalls the risk of joining the military in the late 1950s

By Jo Corona,

Jud Esty-Kendall

Published June 20, 2025 at 3:59 AM CDT

Air Force veteran Jeri Dilno realized she was a lesbian at a young age. For StoryCorps, she discussed the risk she took joining the military in the late 1950s.