World War II Honoree

Leodel Coleman

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Statesboro, Georgia

Honored By

Mr. Robert F. Donaldson

Relationship

Friend

Publisher of small local weekly newspaper, he was a bachelor and about 38 or 39 years old in 1942. His two younger and more healthy brothers were taken in the army. He persuaded the Marines corps to take him even though he was color blind and had tuberculosis as a child. He went through basic training at Paris Island and then became a newspaper correspondent for one of the wire services such as AP, United Press. He went to the Pacific with the Marines and actually went on some island invasions.