I May Have Been the First Official Atheist in the USAF

[MineralMan]

I can't be sure, but in 1965, when I enlisted in the Air Force in the hope that they'd find something more useful for me to do than shoot at people in Vietnam, I came into conflict with that branch of the military on the first day of Basic Training. Like everyone else, I had to fill out a form which included stating my choice of religious affiliation, which would be embossed on my dog tags.

There was no box to check for Atheist, so I checked the Other box and printed ATHEIST in the space. When I got my official dog tags, they were embossed with "PROTESTANT." I spoke to the drill sergeant and told him that was incorrect. He sent me to the Captain in charge of that unit, who told me that there was no category for Atheists, and that "There are no atheists in foxholes." I mentioned to him that there were also virtually no enlisted Air Force personnel in foxholes either, and insisted that I was not in any way a Protestant and requested that my actual religious status be embossed on my dog tags, so there would be no mistakes if I should die while in the USAF.

He told me to "Get out of my office and return to your training flight." I'm a stubborn guy when it comes to things like that, so at my first opportunity, I sought out a base chaplain to make my case. The first one was a Protestant chaplain, since that was what was on my dog tags. Rather than hear my argument, he tried to convert me. So, the next week, I went to the Jewish chaplain with my request. He listened to me. He said that he agreed that it was unfair for an enlisted man to have the wrong religious designation on his dog tags and promised to carry my request to the right person.

Two weeks later, I got a new set of dog tags. Where "Protestant" had been embossed on my first set, someone had used individual letter stamps to emboss "ATHEIST" in that position, with some letters out of alignment. I put them on my neck, and that was that.

I can't say for sure, but I think I may have been the first enlisted Airman in the USAF with dog tags that said "ATHEIST" on them.

Some might say it didn't matter, and they're probably right, when it comes the larger scheme of things. It was important to me, however, to be properly identified in that way.

[ExciteBike66]

1. Check out this guy, integrating the Air Force! nt

[3catwoman3]

2. Good for you for persisting! I think I put...

...Quaker" on mine, as it was the closest to agnostic/open-minded that I could think of back in 1976. I probably still have the dog tags somewhere, but I don't know where, so I can't check.

I did not know about Unitarian Universalism at the time, which would be what I would would put there now, having found a comfortable and intellectually stimulating spiritual community 6 years ago.

[MineralMan]

3. Like I said, I'm a stubborn sort of guy.

I exercise my stubbornness politely, though, and logically. That has worked better for me over the years.

[guillaumeb]

4. Do you still have the tags?

The USAF has been the subject of numerous articles describing a ferociously intolerant atmosphere for all non-Christians.

[MineralMan]

7. I do. They're in a box with other stuff from my time

in the USAF. Orders, papers, forms, discharge papers, etc. I even have my immunization record, which includes experimental vaccinations against plague, typhoid, typhus and cholera. There's a old Zippo lighter I bought at the PX at the base in Turkey where I was stationed and a few other mementos.

[3catwoman3]

5. On things that ask for...

...race, I choose "other" and write in "human."

[MineralMan]

9. Yes. I've been doing that for years and years.

[DemoTex]

6. I have a friend who was a USAF Academy graduate ca. 1965 .. atheist

He flew OV-10 Broncos in Vietnam as a FAC. Callsign "Nail." Mustered out as an O-3 (captain). He was not well liked by the USAF brass.

I flew Boeing 737s with him at the airline. Great guy.

[MineralMan]

8. He sounds like a good guy and friend!

[SeattleVet]

10. I was also persistent...

but CBPO always refused to put ATHEIST on my tags. It was always 'NO PREFERENCE'. (Well, I pretty damn well DID have a preference - it just wasn't one of the 'approved' options at the time, but they would not yield on it.)

There was a lawsuit (maybe 1978-79?) when a someone in the Navy finally took it through the court system and the military was told that he could have ATHEIST on his tags and all official records. As soon as I read the news I hightailed over to CPBO with the article, showed it to the clerk, and demanded new tags and records correction. Took about an hour of phone calls back and forth through local command, and various places all the way up to the Pentagon and USAF HQ , and finally got correct dogtags and all my records changed to ATHEIST.

[MineralMan]

11. Good for you!

I don't think my status was official or endorsed in any way. But, I got my dog tags, which was enough.

[No Vested Interest]

12. One would think the US military would have "None" as a choice.

Wouldn't that be accurate for those that have no religious affiliation?
Maybe not in 1965, but in 2017?

[marylandblue]

13. "no Air Force personnel in foxholes"

Now that's funny.

[MineralMan]

14. Well, it's not entirely true, but mostly.

Maybe a few airfield perimeter guards.

[marylandblue]

15. Still funny :)