Shortly after the two traveled to London, Mitchell was discharged from the Army for his homosexuality. Whittaker and Mitchell forged a bond while serving in the military, and Mitchell introduced Whittaker to the gay social scene. Whittaker, an African American born in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 3, 1942, spoke of his relationship with Mitchell in a series of oral history interviews conducted for the exhibit. Whittaker III, conveying a quiet dignity in an era typically characterized as dangerous and frightening for homosexuals. Mitchell wrote 'Pro Dico' as an expression of his desire and affection for fellow soldier William J.
The Unspoken Past: Atlanta Lesbian and Gay History, 1940–1970, a 2005 exhibition at the Atlanta History Center, included a simple poem written by soldier Thom W.
