Securing Gay Marriage In Maine

86-year-old Republican WWII vet Phillip Spooner spoke before the Maine legislature last April in hopes of seeing the state legalize gay marriage. If his speech -- in which he states that he raised his four songs, three straight and one gay who all also served in the military, to be "hardworking, patriotic Americans" and recalls the time a woman at his polling place asked him if he believed in equality for gays and lesbians and he answered "What do you think I fought for in Omaha Beach?" -- doesn't make you tear up, check to make sure your heart is still beating:

In May, Maine became the fifth U.S. state to legalize marriage. A referendum on the November 3 ballot will decide if marriage will stand in the state. Statistician Nate Silver currently sees the chances of gay marriage remaining legal at 5:2, but he emphasizes that it's voter turnout that will decide our fate. So if you're reading this, and you live in Maine, get your ass to the polls on November 3.

Previously > The Gay Marriage Debate Comes To Vermont -- And High School