George “Frog” Coleman of Eunice joined the Navy in 1966 and ended up in the middle of a battle in the Vietnam War.
He survived that battle, but decades later he faced another battle, with a disease, that he lost.
And, it was story repeated in his family.
Matthew Coleman, his youngest son, provided information about his father and other family members as Memorial Day approached.
The father was a May 1966 graduate of Eunice High School and by October he had enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
Coleman completed Navy Shipfitter “A” School in 1967 with Graduated Class 6704-B in San Diego, California. He served overseas in the Vietnam War from 1967 through 1970 on the USS Ajax (AR-6) in Vung Tau, Vietnam and then on the USS Jason (AR-8) back in San Diego at the time of his honorable discharge. During his time served he achieved the grade/rank of SFP2 E-5.
Coleman received the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation award for making vital repairs to the USS Brule (AKL-28) while on a routine supply run during wartime. He was one of several crew members who worked on the Brule while the vessel was stranded on an inland Vietnamese waterway after sustaining damage from seven rocket hits. Repairs were made to the vessel while the crew returned fire and suppressed more enemy fire.
The Brule’s cargo was delivered on time and was exemplified by their own words when reporting the damage, “ship and crew ready to haul cargo or fight and not necessarily in that order.”
Coleman received the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal (one bronze star). He was most proud of receiving a personal letter of appreciation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation award.
Coleman was born on Dec. 6, 1947, to the late Oscar Alexander “Slim” Coleman and Virginia “Tootsie” Savoy Coleman of Eunice.
His time in the Navy was following a family tradition of service.
His father, Oscar, was a U.S. Army war veteran who received the Purple Heart after surviving grenade wounds during WWII.
All three of Coleman’s brothers served in the military during the Vietnam War. He and his brother Bob were on the USS Ajax for a short time together in Vietnam. His other brothers John and Ty served in the Marines during the Vietnam War.
Oscar Coleman died July 1969 and all the brothers came home on leave to attend their father’s funeral and then returned to their active duty posts to complete their respective tours of duty.
After his active military service, Coleman married Margaret Anne Fontenot of Eunice in 1971 and had two sons, William Chad and Matthew George, and six grandchildren, Jackson Walker and Orrin Luke Coleman, Kadyn Alyse Grayson, Johna Margaret, Easten Matthew and Sabey Hope Coleman.
The military family service continued with William Chad enlisting in the U.S. Navy and serving on the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) during the Persian Gulf War effort of the mid-1990s.
Coleman continued his education by completing and earning an Automatic Sprinkler System Apprenticeship Certification from Pennsylvania State University in the early 1970s and went on to work as an automatic sprinkler fitter in commercial and municipal buildings across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama for 20 plus years.
Following a lower back injury, Coleman returned to college in the mid-1990s and earned an associate degree in fire science from Louisiana State University at Eunice. He then began his career as a QA/QC inspector working for government contractors in Tennessee and then eventually in the oil and gas industry supporting offshore and onshore pipelines and facilities all across the United States and overseas. In his QA/QC inspection career Coleman carried titles of utility inspector, coating inspector, Level II radiography inspector, certified welding inspector, and senior chief inspector.
He was a loyal active member and supporter of the VFW Post 8971 in Eunice and the national Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 669 (UA Local 669).
Coleman had a special place in his heart for Eunice’s Courier de Mardi Gras and participated for almost 20 consecutive years as simply one of the Mardi Gras. He took home the Most Traditional Mardi Gras award a few times in those 20 years, winning in 1997, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2014.
Coleman won Green Man Award in 1984 from the Eunice Jaycees and also The Eunice Jaycees presented Coleman with a Eunice Centennial Beard Growing Contest plaque in 1994 as the Longest Handlebars.
“He dearly loved and cherished his wife Margaret, his children, his grandchildren, his family, and friends. He loved and supported his Catholic faith, St. Edmund Catholic School, Eunice High School, the LSU Tigers, and this United States of America,” Matthew Coleman wrote.
Many of those same friends and family remember George every May with Memorial Day thoughts and prayers of him as a U.S. military veteran. Others think of him every May 25 on the anniversary of his death.
Matthew added about his late father, “And still others remember George every May as May is national ALS Awareness Month. George fought valiantly for 10 months against the ALS disease (Lou Gehrig’s disease) which took his life in May of 2016. The same disease that took the life of his younger brother Bob 22 years ago in 1996; Bob was age 47 at the time of his death. Now, George’s oldest son, William Chad Coleman, is fighting ALS at 46 years of age. All three men are U.S. veterans.
“All three men served in the U.S. Navy. All three men fought in wars overseas for you and me.”
Matt added, “This Memorial Day think of and remember them along with all the men and women who served in the U.S. military and fought for this great country.
To learn more about and help fight ALS, please visit the national ALS website, www.alsa.org; and contact the ALS Association, Louisiana-Mississippi Chapter, 11725 Industriplex Blvd., Suite 3 Baton Rouge, LA 70809-5190; 225-343-9880.
