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Biographies of Witnesses Testifying before the Military Personnel Subcommittee

Coleman, MG Vance, USA (Ret.)

Major General Vance Coleman was born May 22, 1930, in Dermott, Arkansas. He enlisted in the United States Army at 17, the year before President Truman integrated the armed forces. Coleman served in a segregated unit as a Field Artillery Officer where he personally experienced second-class citizenship. General Coleman knows the price Americans pay when discrimination is codified into law, and looks forward to sharing his experience with Congress and the American people.

Coleman enlisted in the Army in 1947. He completed basic training in 1948 and upon completion of the Quartermaster Clerical School was assigned to the US Army Occupation Forces Europe. In 1951 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery after successfully completing Officers Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served in the Korean Conflict. He functioned in a variety of positions: Forward Observer, Fire Direction Officer, Executive Officer, Operations Officer, Brigade Commander and Division Commander.

General Coleman's decorations include: the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and the Parachutist's Badge.

Coleman, who served as a Division Commander, sits on the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Military Advisory Council. A graduate of Spencerian College, with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Colman received a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He has four children, Michael, now residing in Tampa FL; Michelle, Sacramento, CA; Lori, Long Island, NY; and Gary, Milwaukee, WI.

Darrah, CAPT Joan E., USN (Ret.)

Captain Joan E. Darrah joined the Navy in 1973 and served as a Naval Intelligence officer. On September 11, 2001 Captain Darrah was at the Pentagon, when the room she had been in minutes earlier was destroyed by a plane crashing into the side of the building, killing seven of her co-workers. Darrah feared that in the event of her death, her partner of eleven years would not have been contacted. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” prohibited Darrah from listing her partner as an emergency contact.

A member of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Military Advisory Council, highlights of her career include attending the Naval War College in 1981 and serving as the Aide and Flag Secretary to the President of the Naval War College. Darrah’s assignments included serving as Deputy Director of the Human Resources Directorate at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Captain Darrah's personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), and the Navy Achievement Medal.

Since her retirement, she has been very active in working to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” She is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church and Vice President of the New Alexandria Citizens Association. Captain Darrah lives with Lynne Kennedy, her partner since 1990, in Alexandria, Virginia.

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