Honoring Our Heroes

LtCol Donald Dean Lehman: Age 77

LtCol Donald Lehman served 23 years in the U.S. Marine Corps with three years on active duty and 20 years on duty. His military occupational specialties (MOS) were: 1302, Combat Engineer Officer, 0802, Artillery Officer and 0202, Intelligence. He received the following medals, decorations, awards, and citations: Navy Achievement medal with combat “V”, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

LtCol Lehman was born July 10, 1947, in Washington, Iowa, to his parents, James and Cecelia Lehman. He was reared in Iowa City, IA, where he graduated from the University High School in 1965. He attended the University of Iowa, participated in the Marine Corps PLC (Platoon Leaders Class) commissioning program and was appointed a Marine 2ndLt upon graduation with a BS Degree in geology in 1969.

Having completed Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 1968 and graduating from college, LtCol Lehman completed six months at the Marine Officers’ Basic School, class of 3-70 at Quantico, VA, in February 1970. Next, he served at Camp LeJeune, N.C. completing the Combat Engineer Officer’s course in May, 1970. He then received orders to serve in Vietnam where he served as a Combat Engineer Platoon Commander and Battalion staff officer with the 1st Combat Engineer Bn, 1st Marine Division at Da Nang and An Hoa Combat Base. He returned to the US with the 1st Combat Engineers when they and the 1st Division were withdrawn from Vietnam in April 1971 and returned to Camp Pendleton, CA. He continued to serve on the battalion staff with the 1st Engineers until his release from active duty in August, 1972.

LtCol Lehman’s 20-year service career in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve included two weeks or longer active-duty stints with the following:

1. US Army Artillery School, Ft. Still, OK, 2. Marine Corps/Navy Training Ctr, Roosevelt Roads/Vieques, PR, 3. Navy Pacific Fleet Intelligence Center, Pearl Harbor, HI, 4. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. (multiple tours) 5. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, 6. Marine Corps Base, Twentynine Palms, CA, 7. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA, 8. Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC 9. Coronado Navy Training Base, CA, Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, 10. Navy Base, San Diego, CA, 11. Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, Marine Reserve Command and Staff College (multiple tours) and 12. Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C., Reserve Armed Forces Security Seminar.

He retired from the Marine Reserves as a LtCol in November 1992 at Kalamazoo, MI. Having used the G.I. Bill for 30 months to earn his MS Degree in Geology from the University of Iowa in 1975 after his active duty service, he went to work as an oil and gas exploration geologist and manager for both large and small companies around the country for 41 years. He began working as an exploration geologist with Mobil Oil in Denver, CO, for 1.5 years during 1975-1976. He then worked as an exploration geologist with various smaller oil companies in the Denver, CO, area exploring for oil and gas in the Rocky Mountain states for 11 years during 1976-1986. He moved his family to Pittsburgh, PA and worked as an exploration geologist for Consolidated Natural Gas Development Co. (now Dominion Energy) for four years during 1987-1990. He once again uprooted his family and moved to Kalamazoo, MI in 1990, to work as the exploration manager for Miller Energy, Inc. for nine years during 1990-1999. He also spent six years as an IT manager from 2000-2007, before making his final move to Alabama. His last employment was as the San Juan Basin asset manager for Energen Resources in Birmingham (now Diamondback Energy, Midland, TX) for eight and one-half years during 2007-2016. He retired from all employment in 2016.

LtCol Lehman and his first wife, Bonnie, were married for 32 years and she passed away in 2001; they had four children and 10 grandchildren. Being remarried in 2011, he now has in addition, two step children and five step grandchildren with his wife, Patricia.

LtCol Lehman is a member and volunteer for numerous veterans’ service organizations in the Birmingham area. His service and leadership include: (1) Current president and life-member of Greater Birmingham Chapter MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) which is an advocate for local, state and national legislative issues for all veterans; (2) Board and life member, Krulak Marine Alliance of Alabama (KMAA), a local 501c(3), that supports the needs of veterans; (3) Home Depot Foundation support liaison, helping coordinate projects for the Foundation to assist in home improvements and repairs for disabled veterans and (4) life member of Vietnam Veterans of America, the Marine Corps League Krulak Detachment, Birmingham, AL and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

LtCol Lehman’s conclusions about what his military service means to him are: “I did what my country called me to do and was proud of it. My Marine Corps experience provided me with invaluable leadership training, skills and relationships that I would never have had otherwise. Having the title of Marine means a lot and has helped me succeed in all aspects of my life.”

LtCol Lehman would like future generations to remember him as being a caring person, good father, grandfather, and husband who always tried to help others less fortunate than himself.