'I never dreamed I'd be marrying a man': WWII Vet and Vietnam hero marry after 20 years

• A World War II 退役軍人 married his boyfriend of 20 years
• John Banvard, 95, served in WWII and 67-year-old Gerard Nadeau served in Vietnam
• The couple met in California in 1990s
  

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 14:27 BST, 2 November 2013 | Updated: 20:14 BST, 2 November 2013

A World War II 退役軍人 married his boyfriend of 20 years in a historic 儀式 at the 退役軍人s Home of Chula Vista in California.

John Banvard, 95, and 67-year-old Gerard Nadeau, who served in Vietnam, said they 手配中の，お尋ね者 to have their 儀式 の中で friends, so they chose to have it at the 退役軍人’s Home, where they’ve lived for the last three years.

'I never thought I’ll be marrying a man,' Banvard told ABC News. 'It was something we were happy we could do.'

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The Happy Couple: A World War II 退役軍人 John Banvard, 95, married his partner, 67-year-old Gerard Nadeau - his boyfriend of 20 years - in a historic 儀式 at the 退役軍人s Home of Chula Vista in California 近づく San Diego

WWII: John Banvard joined the 空気／公表する 軍隊 one week after the attack in Pearl Harbor and also worked as a teacher in speech and 演劇

支援する in 'Nam: 67-year-old Gerard Nadeau, who served in Vietnam, and worked in communications

They decided to get married after the 最高裁判所’s 活動／戦闘s earlier this year, which 許すd same-sex couples to marry.

After the U.S. 最高裁判所 決定／判定勝ち（する） to end California’s 支え（る） 8 禁止（する） on same-sex couples’ marrying, they finally got what they were waiting for.

'First a couple of 明言する／公表するs 認めるd same-sex marriage, the closer and closer we got to know it might be 合法的な, the more we thought about it.

Until it became 合法的な and that was when we said, Let’s do it. We were waiting on the 最高裁判所 to make that 決定／判定勝ち（する）,' said Mr Banvard.

First kiss: John Banvard, left, and his partner Gerard Nadeau, 権利, got married yesterday at their 退役軍人s home in Chula Vista, California

At last: The wedding was small and simple and …に出席するd by some of their friends at the 退役軍人s' home

'It was historic for us. One of the best parts of the 儀式 was when he said, If you （機の）カム to see the bride, you’re out of luck,' said Mr Nadeau.

Age difference hardly seems an 問題／発行する for the couple.

Many of the couple’s friends who live at the 退役軍人’s home …に出席するd the small and simple 儀式.

'The world is changing, we have to go along with it,' said one guest.

The couple met in California during a 簡潔な／要約する visit to California by Banvard. 'I went to Los Angeles to a good friend’s funeral and a few days later I was in San Diego and that’s where I met Gerard,' her said.

Married: The couple said they had to wait for the 最高裁判所 決定／判定勝ち（する） to 合法的に marry

議論の的になる: The couple got married at their 退役軍人s home in Chula Vista, California and some of their fellow 居住（者）s were いっそう少なく than pleased with the union

平和的な day: にもかかわらず some 居住（者）s 表明するing their 不賛成 with the union, there were no 抗議するs on the day of the wedding

A few months later, Nadeau asked him to come live with him in California and to see how things would go. They visited each other a couple of times until Banvard sold his house in Texas and moved in together.

John Banvard joined the 空気／公表する 軍隊 one week after the attack in Pearl Harbor and also worked as a teacher in speech and 演劇.

His 職業 in the 空気／公表する 軍隊 was with 無線で通信する transmitters and frequencies. Nadeau was 草案d during the Vietnam War and served in communications. Banvard's wife died n 1985 and has been 選び出す／独身 ever since.

支援する in the 70s: Nadeau was 草案d during the Vietnam War and served in communications

Multi-技術d: John Banvard joined the 空気／公表する 軍隊 one week after the attack in Pearl Harbor and also worked as a teacher in speech and 演劇

議論の的になる: The couple got married at their 退役軍人s home in Chula Vista, California and some of their fellow 居住（者）s were いっそう少なく than pleased with the union

施設 director Neal Asper said news of two men getting married at the VA home wasn’t 井戸／弁護士席 received by everyone.? A town hall 会合 was held at the VA home to 演説（する）／住所 関心s from other 居住（者）s.

'It’s been somewhat 議論の的になる,' said Mr Asper. 'I told them, they have the 権利 to get married here just like everybody else.'

One 居住（者） said he didn’t agree with Banvard and Nadeau’s 祝賀 of their love for each other, but supported their 合法的な 権利 to do so.

'I just know that it’s against my 約束 and my 宗教, but as Americans they have a 権利 to do what they want to do,' he said.

The newlyweds hope the wedding will encourage other 年輩の couples to do the same.

'It feels 広大な／多数の／重要な to be marriage. I think we were just lucky that we 攻撃する，衝突する it off so 井戸／弁護士席 and got along so 井戸／弁護士席.'

The good old days: Age difference hardly seems an 問題／発行する for the couple

One of the boys: Banvard's wife died n 1985 and has been 選び出す／独身 until now