Less than honorable discharge for gay soldier reversed

COLUMBUS, Ohio  — An 82-year-old Ohio veteran is receiving an honorable discharge a half century after the Army kicked him out for being gay.

Donald Hallman of Columbus requested a reversal of his 1955 “undesirably” discharged status after President Barack Obama repealed the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” rule in 2010.

Hallman is scheduled to appear with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, at a news conference Friday in Columbus.

Hallman served from 1953 to 1955 and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.

Brown’s office says an estimated 100,000 Americans have been discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation since World War II.

According to Newsmax, “Since 2011, any veteran who was discharged because of sexual orientation with no other “aggravating” factors, including misconduct, are granted the honorable discharge. Eighty percent of the 500 requests since 2011 have been approved.”

Brown co-sponsored federal legislation to help service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation correct their military records and receive reinstated benefits.