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Jesse Leon Coleman (b. September 09, 1925)
Jesse Leon Coleman (son of John Melton Coleman and Jessie Lee Coleman) was born September 09, 1925 in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. He married Jane Ellen Holland on April 15, 1951 in Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida.
Notes for Jesse Leon Coleman:
After graduating from Robert E. Lee Sr. High School in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida on May 28, 1943 he joined the army reserves on July 31, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Florida. He wa assigned Army Serial Number 14 085 990. He was enrolled in the Army Specialized Training Program and sent to North Carolina State College (now University) in Raleigh, North Carolina where he studied Basic Engineering. After reaching 18 on September 9, 1943, he was told he would have to have his basic infantry training. In November, he had finished his first quarter of college and was sent back to Camp Blanding, Florida. From there he was sent to Ft. Benning, Georgia on December 7, 1943 where the ASTP (Army Specialized Training Program) had an infantry training center. He was assigned to 3rd Company, 4th ASTP Training Regiment. His 2nd Lt. was Elisha E. Coleman, a University of Florida ROTC graduate (he was listed as killed in action on a Roll of Honor at the university. He saw it when he was a student there). After finishing the 13 week basic infantry training, he received orders to return to college. While waiting for transportation, the orders were cancelled and he along with 100,000 others in ASTP were send to combat units. This was in March, 1944. He was sent to Camp Maxey, Texas (near Paris) and assigned to Company H, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division. This was a heavy weapons company. He became a 1st gunner on a 81mm mortar. After several months, he and some others were sent to Company F, 393rd Infantry, a rifle company. As he was considered an experienced soldier at 18, the transfer was to add some veterans to that company. He qualified on all of the infantry weapons and completed the Expert Infantry Course for which he was awarded an Expert Infantry Badge which added $5.00 a month to his pay. He was also promoted to Private First Class and that added another $4.00 a month bringing his pay to $59.00 a month.
On September 10, 1944 his division was sent to Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts near Boston. They traveled on one of three troop trains needed to transport the division. His mother died on September 18, 1944 and he flew to Jacksonville, Florida for the funeral. He missed it by one day. He sailed from Boston on the SS Argentina, (a captured Italian luxury liner) on September 29, 1944 and arrived at Southampton, England 11 days later. (His overseas address was APO 449, New York, NY.) The city was badly damaged from German bombs. He was assigned to Camp Piddlehinton near Dorchester. They were there about 3 weeks and crossed the English channel and landed in Le Harve, France around November 1st. This city was very badly damaged. They proceeded to the front lines in Belgium. On December 28, 1944 he was seriously wounded in the leg during the Battle of the Bulge. He was in army hospitals in Verviers and Liege, Belgium, Winchester and Salisbury, England, Staten Island, New York, and Jackson, Mississippi. He returned to the United States on the Queen Elizabeth in March, 1945 and landed in New York City. His experiences have been written about in detail in a separate documents. He was discharged from the army at Welch Convalescent Hospital in Daytona Beach, Florida on August 3, 1945.
He entered the University of Florida in September and 4 years later after going summer and winter graduated on September 3, 1949 with an LLB (Batchelor of Laws) and was admitted to the Florida Bar as a lawyer. On December 17, 1967, his degree was up-graded to a J D (Juris Doctor) degree. He worked for Commercial Credit Corporation in Daytona Beach, Florida as a Loan manager until September 1,1954 when he went to work for Allstate Insurance Company in Jacksonville, Florida. He ultimately retired as the Managing Attorney for Allstate's legal operations in Florida on March 31, 1989 after serving in that capacity for 20 years. Prior to that he managed claim offices in St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Miami. He also served on the regional staff in St. Petersburg. In his capacity as a Managing Attorney and Trial Attorney, he tried cases in Circuit Court in front of judges and juries. He now is retired and busier than ever. Leon had a total left knee replacement on April 27, 1994. He has a 60% disability for his World War II injuries. Leon had a triple bypass operation on May 4, 2001 due to blockage in 3 coronary arteries. He also had a Medtronic Im plantable Cardioverter Defibrillator installed on May 18, 2001due to an irregular heart beat.
Leon is a member of the Gann Historical Society & Library, the 99th Infantry Division Association, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, the Combat Infantrymens Association, the Disabled American Veterans, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Social Fraternity, the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Florida Bar. In the military, he was awarded several medals for marksmanship including expert on the 81 mm mortar, expert on the M1 Carbine, sharpshooter on the M1 rifle, marksman on the .45 Automatic and awards for other infantry weapons. His medals include the Purple Heart (awarded 16 Jan, 1945), the Combat Infantrymens Badge (awarded 3 Jan, 1945) , the Good Conduct Medal, the European Theater of Operations Ribbon with 2 battle stars (for the Rhineland and Ardennes Campaigns), and the Victory Medal.
He is a member of Sheridan Hills Baptist Church of Hollywood, Florida where he was ordained as a deacon. He has been a Sunday school teacher, a department director, and a member of the choir. He has been active in this church since 1973 and before that in various other baptist churches where he served in various capacities.
His hobbies have included furniture making which he began in 1974. He has made many pieces of furniture including a Queen Anne Secretary, a TV-VCR Cabinet, a Curio Cabinet, a 6' 10" Grandfather Clock, a Chest of Drawers, a Low Boy table, a Lamp Table, Butler's Table and quite a few mantle and wall clocks. He also has included an interest in genealogy.
More About Jesse Leon Coleman:
Degree 1: February 08, 1947, University of Florida - AA Degree.
Degree 2: September 03, 1949, University of Florida LLB Degree.
Degree 3: December 17, 1967, University of Florida - Juris Doctor.
Graduation 1: May 31, 1940, Waycross Jr. High School.
Graduation 2: May 28, 1943, Robert E. Lee Sr. High School.
Military service 1: July 31, 1943, Camp Blanding, Florida.
Military service 2: August 03, 1945, Welch Convalescent Hospital - discharge.
More About Jesse Leon Coleman and Jane Ellen Holland:
Marriage: April 15, 1951, Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida.
Children of Jesse Leon Coleman and Jane Ellen Holland are:
- +Stuart Allan Coleman, b. October 25, 1955, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.
- +Richard Scott Coleman, b. August 24, 1958, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida.
- David Charles Coleman, b. March 31, 1965, Hollywood, Broward County, Florida.

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