Testimony given for and against Maine's marriage equality bill on April 22, 2009. Nearly 4,000 people attended the hearing, with marriage equality supporters out-numbering the opposition 4 to 1.
“I am here because of a conversation I had last June, when I was voting. The woman at my polling place asked me, do I believe in equality for gay and lesbian people.
“I was pretty surprised to be asked a question like that. It made no sense to me. Finally I asked her: what do you think I fought for in Omaha Beach?”
As applause broke out, he said that equality was one of the values of the "great nation" of America and was worth dying for.
The veteran, who was present at the D-Day landing, said he and his late wife have four sons, one of whom is gay. All have served in the US military.
He said: "My wife and I did not raise four sons with the idea that three of them would have certain rights and that the fourth of them would be left out.”
"I was raised to believe all men are created equal,” he added, “and I have never forgotten that."
“It makes no sense that some people who love each other can marry and others can’t, just because of who they are."
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