Milton and Hector
Milton Delgado and Hector Correa met on March 7, 1991 when their eyes met across a crowded bar in Philadelphia. They danced together. They kissed. Milton walked Hector to his car at the end of the night and thereafter began a 3-month platonic courtship. As Milton described them, they are "both Puerto Rican, both the oldest child, and both hard-headed Latinos with a temper to match." It was clear after spending only a brief amount of time with them that laughter and fun played a big part in their relationship.
Milton entered the Navy in 1983 and was stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Shipyard. When he met Hector, he was serving aboard the USS Independence, a rather ironic assignment for a homosexual sailor, forced to keep his freedom in the closet. At the time, Hector, a graduate of Johnson and Wales, one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country, was a catering manager for the now defunct Philadelphia Civic Center. They began a dedicated relationship, bought a home together, opened an antique store, were co-hosts on a local television show, went to circuit parties, vacationed on gay cruises, and thoroughly enjoyed their lives together.
Because of Milton's active duty military status, the home that the couple purchased was 80 miles from his base station so that no one from his ship would see them together. They made sure that "no one asked and they weren't telling." They were deeply in love and supported each other through fabulous times and bad times. At his retirement from the Navy, after 20 years of service, Milton ceremoniously walked past his saluting shipmates with his mother, not his partner, on his arm. Milton sadly recalled that Hector deserved to be there as his military spouse, who served with him for 12 years.
After the retirement, Milton, worked for A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children as a program and policy analyst and advocate for children's health and completed his doctorate. Hector opened a new furniture store. They purchased an historic mansion in quaint Middletown, DE and began extensive renovations, while Milton worked on his dissertation. Milton's dissertation dedication page reads, "To my life partner and silent warrior whose tough skin has always been my armor." He claims to have always been the court jester to Hector, the knight in shining armor.
But just as in many other relationships, things change. People love each other for years and work at maintaining the best partnerships possible, but sometimes, sadly, they come to an impasse and couples go their separate ways. So it was for Milton and Hector. Despite years of happiness together, they parted in June of 2010, only a few months after their photo was taken for this project and just shy of their 20th anniversary.
Milton spoke about their separation. "I am alone, but not lonely, because even though my Hector may never show up to my home on a white horse, he still calls me, we still laugh, and on March 7, 2011, I sent him a bouquet of flowers with a card that read "20 years ago today, I met my best friend." Love, Milton.