RESIDENCE (DURING WWII):
Elgin, Illinois
FULL NAME:
George R. Coleman
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER (ASN):
O-1018470
- DATE OF BIRTH: Dec 13, 1922
- DATE OF DEATH: Dec 18, 1944
DATE / PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:
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DATE OF ENLISTMENT:Nov 7, 1942
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PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:Unknown
ORGANIZATION:
-
MAIN UNIT:741st Tank Battalion
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SUBUNIT:Company B, 1st Battalion
RANK / POSITION IN UNIT (LAST KNOWN):
-
RANK:First Lieutenant (1st Lt.)
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POSITION IN UNIT:Commander
BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS:
✭ Normandy Campaign (6 June – 24 July 1944), ✭ Northern France Campaign (25 July – 14 September 1944), ✭ Ardennes-Alsace Campaign (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945), ✭ Rhineland Campaign (15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945)
DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS (AWARDS):
🎖Purple Heart, 🎖European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, 🎖Distinguished Unit Citation, 🎖Combat Infantry Badge
SUMMARY OF HIS SERVICE:
"Coleman enlisted in the Army on November 7, 1942. To be a tanker he would be sent to Officers Candidate School at Ft. Knox, Kentucky and graduate on June 5, 1943. Coleman arrived in England on March 2, 1944, where he was assigned as a platoon leader to Co. D, 741st Tank Battalion. Landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 fought throughout Normandy and France until being wounded July 26 by a direct artillery shell hitting his tank leaving him with shrapnel in his feet near Cloville, France. Coleman would rejoined the 741st replacing wounded Platoon leader of 1st Platoon Co. B would serve at Schnee-Eifel were he would be promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant. Coleman fought in the fierce battles at the Krinkelt and Rocherath were he would die 5 days after his birthday.
George Coleman was the son of Roy Dunham, a WWI veteran, real-estate broker and Irma (Schneider) Coleman. George Coleman graduated from Elgin High School, Elgin, Illinois. He attended Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, but he left what was left of his schooling to join the Army"
