Retired Staff Sergeant Eric Alva was hailed as an American hero, Alva was decorated and visited by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney, and President George W. Bush. However, he was only able to be true to himself after he left the military, and upon his retirement came out as a gay man. Today, Alva is a gay rights activist and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, where he speaks about LGBT issues and the military.