86-year-old's plea for gay marriage becomes Internet hit

It happened in April, but Phillip Spooner's speech for gay marriage equality is just now making the Internet rounds -- and drawing widespread attention from large liberal websites like The Huffington Post.

Spooner, 86, spoke out in favor of marriage equality during hearings in Maine on gay marriage Apr. 22. But his remarks are only now being noticed online. The World War II vet, and father of four, says he didn't fight in World War II for his gay son to be treated as a second class citizen.

"I am here today because of a conversation I had last June when I was voting," Spooner says. "A woman at my polling place asked me, "Do you believe in equal, equality for gay and lesbian people?' I was pretty surprised to be asked a question like that. It made no sense to me. Finally I asked her, 'What do you think our boys fought for at Omaha Beach?' I haven't seen much, so much blood and guts, so much suffering, much sacrifice. For what? For freedom and equality. These are the values that give America a great nation, one worth dying for."

The video follows.