SSG Billie Lee Coleman (KIA)
Date of Birth: 12-04-31
Home of Record: QUALITY, KENTUCKY
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Married
Religion: PROTESTANT
Rank: SFC – E7
Tour began: 12-01-70
Casualty date: 10-20-71
Age at time of death: 39
In NINH THUAN, SOUTH VIETNAM
Non-Hostile, died of illness/injury
GROUND CASUALTY; BURNS
Body was recovered
At the time of his death, Sgt 1st Class Coleman was 8 weeks away from completing his 3rd tour in Nam 13 days away from celebrating 20 years in
the Army6 weeks away from his 40th birthday
Panel 02W – – Line 44
Billie is buried at Lewisburg Cemetery in Lewisburg KY
“My stateside Platoon Sgt was Billie Coleman; we were so close I called him Dad.”
~Chuck Maguire
“Billie Coleman was my plack-daddy too; state-side I was assigned to the armory with him in charge of it.”
~Don Colvin, Jr
“SFC Bill Coleman was my best friend in Vietnam. He was the Mortar Platoon Sgt on his third tour and I was on my first. I think we had over 30 multi-tour senior NCOs in the 2/501st . He was one of the very few who spent his third tour in the field. I can still see him as we said goodbye on the log pad at FSB Tomahawk.”
~SSG Joe deGanahl
1st Mortar Section
2/501st Inf