The Last Deployment

By Joshua Boschee
Staff Writer

North Dakota native Bronson Lemer recently published a book detailing his experiences as a closeted National Guard soldier. The book provides great insight into what is going through the head of Lemer as he reflects on signing up for the Guard as a senior in high school, the preparation of his platoon to deploy to Iraq, and the daily antics of his fellow tent mates.

The descriptive writing style invites the reader to vividly visualize his surroundings and the faces of his peers as they complete the various tasks associated with their mission of rebuilding schools, government buildings and soccer stadiums. With most of his stories about Iraq, Lemer fills us in on who he was before going off to war. We learn about growing up on his family farm near Harvey, ND and how he defines his place among his brothers. He takes us to restaurants and bars in Fargo and Moorhead with his college friends. As well as his first deployment as part of a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

Weaved throughout many of these stories, we see how Lemer struggles with hiding part of who he is from the soldiers he shares everything else with. As he and his fellow soldiers develop stronger bonds with each other, Lemer is the one who listens more about his tent mates’ wives and girlfriends than talk about his longing to be with his ex-boyfriend. We begin to see how the military’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” isolates gay and lesbian soldiers from their fellow straight soldiers. Towards the end of the book, Lemer observes that because of their situation and time together, the men he has grown to know well begin to discard the “rules” of an American society of how a man should act and become more authentic with each other through their discussions and antics. Because of the policy, Lemer must hold back his personal feelings which, at times, increase his loneliness in the dessert. He’s serving a country that doesn’t recognize or understand who he is as a soldier.

The book provides a poignant example of a gay man learning more about his place in the world.  Lemer’s fears and joys highlight the humanity associated with being gay in the military, along with the complexities of the discriminatory and soon to be ended policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  His autobiography is a good read for any age.

Lemer has been selected as the Grand Marshall for the Fargo Moorhead Pride Parade and will be at Zandbroz Variety Store on Thursday, August 11th to read a selection from his book and sign copies for attendees.

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IF YOU GO:
WHAT: The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq
Bronson Lemer Reading and Book Signing
WHERE: Zandbroz Variety Store
WHEN: 6:30pm Thursday, August 11