Yes Kerry, I remember the uproar about AIDS, and the hysteria that we witnessed here in Australia as they obviously did too all over the world. The grim reaper commercials, OMG, so many conflicting theories on the subject. No doubt would have been a very scarey time in the gay community.
Reflecting now, back on my Dad and Allens situation, the fact that they never "came out" to society, may have had a lot to do with Allen's decision as well. Of course they had their gay friends and were out to them, but to the rest of society, they pretended to be brothers, Allen changing his name by deed poll, to make it even more authentic. That in itself must have been hard enough to live with day in, day out.
I guess by marrying, Allen foresaw a "normal" lifestyle. I have no doubt that he loves his wife, and they seem extremely comfortable with each other.
Oh just on another coincidence, my husband also paid off from the navy in 1973, after serving 9 years. As much as there are numerous jokes about the navy and gayness, neither my hubby nor I (once I married him) knew, or knew of, any sailor who was homosexual. ....thats not to say that they were not there. Back then, before I or hubby ever had any gaydar, I doubt we would have noticed if it was displayed right in front of us, although I do remember one crew mate of my hubbys, who was probably bi-sexual. His girlfriend was a go go dancer at Whisky A Go Go but he was also "very friendly" with an entrepreneur from America, who we read somewhere later, was gay. Of course, our reflections on the navy mates were from a straight perspective, Im sure your George, may have seen some of the crew in a different light all together.
Its all very interesting, isn't it.