Veteran kicked out of Army for sexual orientation gets status upgrade 60 years later

A local veteran “undesirably” discharged from the military due to his sexual orientation more than 60 years ago will have his discharge status upgraded after decades of hiding his identity and service history.

South Side resident Donald Hallman, 82, has been working with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, since the fall to appeal his discharge with the Department of Defense. Brown announced this week that his discharge status had officially been updated to “honorably discharged.”

Hallman represents one of an estimated 100,000 veterans who were discharged from the army due to their sexual orientation.