Navy Vet Breaks Silence on Gay Sailor's Abuse in New Memoir

Garry Barr, a US Navy veteran who served from 1980 to 1990, has published Silent No More, a first-person memoir detailing the sexual violence, harassment, and fear of exposure he faced as a gay sailor in the 1980s. The book recounts incidents across several commands, including training at NTTC Corry Field and assignments aboard the USS Lexington and the USS Fort Fisher. Barr explains that being identified as gay at the time could lead to investigation, charges, and a dishonorable discharge, which kept him from reporting the assaults and threats he endured. The memoir also describes his eight-hour questioning by the Naval Investigative Service, the decline in his performance and health that followed, and his decision to leave the Navy after nearly ten years of service. He was honorably discharged.

Barr does not present the book as an indictment of the Navy; rather, he states its purpose is to end his own silence and encourage victims of sexual violence to report. He notes that he was not the only person affected, describing two close friends who were also assaulted and removed from the ship without explanation, and he highlights the hostility women faced in the early years of serving aboard Navy ships. Silent No More also covers Barr's upbringing, his decision to enlist, and telling his father and stepmother he was gay at age forty. The book closes by acknowledging changes since his service, including the 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and its 2011 repeal, and lists reporting options through the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Army SHARP, and Disabled American Veterans, noting that veterans can reach a Vet Center by calling 877-927-8387. Published by Prime Publishing Studio, the book is intended for all readers, not only military personnel or members of the LGBTQ community.