Donald Colley, District #8, is Choctaw Nation’s Veteran of the Month.
Colley was born in 1945 in Artesia, New Mex., but his earliest memories were growing up on his grandmother’s Indian allotment land near Grant, Oklahoma. His family moved to Rattan until he was 11 and then relocated to Manhattan Beach, Calif., where he graduated from high school in 1963.
Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, completed Basic Training in San Diego, Calif., and was then stationed at Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif. for two years. He was assigned to the USS Kearsarge aircraft carrier (CVS-33) for an additional two years. His duties included tracking inventory, preparing legal reports, and documenting inventory for each base to combat black-market activity during the Vietnam era. He traveled with a Lieutenant to various bases, ensuring accurate accounting of equipment and supplies.
Colley honorably served through 1969, earning the rank of 3rd Class Petty Officer. His favorite tour of duty was aboard the USS Kearsarge, where he valued the opportunity to travel, including service off the coast of Vietnam. He earned the Good Conduct Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam), and Sharpshooter Medals.
Upon returning to the U.S., he worked as an accountant for Morrise P. Kirk and Son, a lead refinery, and later pursued higher education at Long Beach State College. He went on to teach high school mathematics, including algebra, until his retirement in 2008. Colley expresses deep gratitude for the many contributions his tribe has made to his life and sincerely appreciates the leadership and their continued service to the tribe. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma holds our Veterans in the highest esteem and appreciates their sacrifices and contributions to preserve our freedoms and the way of life we hold dear.