Perry Watkins
Perry Watkins (August 20, 1948 – March 17, 1996) was an American soldier. A gay man, he was one of the first servicemembers to challenge the ban against homosexuals in the United States military. Early life and military career Perry James Henry Watkins was born in Joplin, Missouri, on August 20, 1948, the son of Ola Watkins, a nurse. He moved with his family as a teenager and attended Tacoma Lincoln High School, where he was open about being gay. He studied dance and won speech tournaments. In August 1967, he was living in Germany where his stepfather was serving in the U.S. military, when he was drafted and at his initial examination told an Army psychiatrist he was gay. During his induction examination in Tacoma, Washington in May 1968, he stated that he was homosexual when asked, but the doctor still categorized him as "qualified for military service". He did not take any legal action or protest being drafted. Initially assigned to serve as a chaplain's assistant, Watkins was ...
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Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in Jasper and Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. Joplin is the largest city located within both Jasper and Newton Counties - even though it is not the county seat of either county (Carthage is the seat of Jasper County while Neosho is the seat of Newton County). With a population of 51,762 as of the 2020 census, Joplin is the 13th most-populous city in the state. The city covers an area of 35.69 square miles (92.41 km2) on the outer edge of the Ozark Mountains. Joplin is the main hub of the three-county Joplin-Miami, Missouri-Oklahoma Metro area, which is home to 210,077 people making it the 5th largest metropolitan area in Missouri. In May 2011, the city was hit by a violent EF5 tornado which destroyed one-third of the city. History 19th century Lead was discovered in the Joplin Creek Valley before the Civil War, but only ...
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