WORLD WAR II - RAYMOND COLEMAN - Coke County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
7 Oct 2000
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The Observer/Enterprise, 2 June 2000, Robert Lee, TX

Raymond Coleman, Bronte's First War Casualty, accidentally killed at
Camp Bowie, Buried here with Military honors

(Article taken from the Bronte Enterprise, December 1943)

The war clouds hang low over Bronte and Bronteland.  The holiday 
festivities of all the people of this quiet, little western town were
abruptly changed to universal sorrow Tuesday morning when the 
intelligence gained currency that Raymond Coleman, a Bronte boy in the
service, had been accidentally killed at Camp Bowie Monday night.  He
was a member of the military police corps, and was charged with guard 
duty in the rehabilitation camp at Camp Bowie which is a camp where 
American soldiers are held for infractions of military rules.  A high
line pole was being placed which swung as it was hoisted, hitting the
guard and killing him instantly.  The body, accompanied by a 
detachment of his buddies, including Chaplain Wm. C. Benson, chaplain 
of Camp Bowie, and Chaplain Geo. E. Mortensen, Chaplain of the 
rehabilitation camp, was interred in the Fairview cemetery, Tuesday
afternoon, with military honors, following religious services at the
Baptist Church.

The largest concourse of people to attend a funeral in Bronte in a 
long time gathered to pay tribute to their hero - he was Bronte's
first to give his life in the service of his country - hence all felt
that he was not the hero of his family only, but of all the people of
this vast part of West Texas.  Therefore the sorrow was universal and 
all stood at his bier and shed the silent tear.

It was the town's first military funeral, and all present felt that 
their own was being put away for the final sleep.  Rev. J. E. Eldridge,
former pastor of the Baptist Church in Bronte, but now of Sonora, 
returned from Sonora where he is now located and opened the service 
with Prayer.  The dead soldier's chaplain, Chaplain Mortensen of Omaha,
Nebraska, delivered the funeral address.  The chaplain gave a 
comforting message, the philosophies of which directed the minds of the
auditors from the earthly aspects of the awful tragedy to "things
eternal."  The message brought light and hope and faith to dissipate
the shadows that had fallen.  His text was Job 14:14: "If a man dies
shall he live again?"  The text was by request.  Hence the chaplain 
spoke impromptu, as he had no opportunity for systematic arrangement
of the thought of his message.  The writer has been privileged to hear
many such discourses through the years - but, not one in which was
couched more holy and beautiful and comforting sentiment than that
expressed by this army chaplain.  He spoke of life and its exit, 
through death - and he spoke with the certainty of absolute knowledge.
He discoursed through the processes of reasoning as well as through
revelation and "without controversy," there must be a beautiful end 
to this life for the righteous and the end is the Everlasting Eternal
Ages - and the gateway into the realms of bliss is death.  So certain, 
so convincing, so appealing were the thoughts of the minister 
concerning "that land of fadeless light and immortal beauty," that to
the thoughtful, death lost its sting, and made them willing to die,
gladly, when according to the Divine Plan it must be so!  This 
stranger army chaplain may never come this way again, but those who 
heard this funeral address, not only did it make them willing to die;
but death will be a welcome caller when it shall come.

Raymond Coleman was the son of Mrs. Ruth Coleman and the late M. P.
Coleman, who died August 1942.  He was born at Marie in Runnels 
County, May 18, 1906.  Besides his mother, other members who survive
are his wife, two sons, James of Vanport, Oregon, and Don who was with
his parents at Brownwood; five sisters, Mrs. H. T. Sims, San Angelo;
Mrs. E. L. Caperton, Bronte; Mrs. Elva McCutchen, San Angelo; 
Mrs. R. C. Baker, Houston, and Mrs. H. O. Hester, Bronte; two brothers,
Robert, San Angelo and Buck of Bronte.  All were present for the 
funeral.

Following the religious service the buddies of the dead soldier, as 
pall bearers, bore the flag draped, flower-embanked casket to the 
funeral car, which was waiting at the church door, and a procession
reaching almost half way from the church to the cemetery formed a line
and moved quietly and slowly to the cemetery, followed the body of 
their soldier to the graveside.  The chaplain made the committment of
the body to the grave; the bugler, hidden away, some distance from the
grave, in the tall spruce, sounded taps, a detachment of the comrades 
of the dead soldier; fired the salute, other soldiers took the flag
from the flag-draped casket and the body was lowered to its last 
resting place, and the flowers of profuse and gorgeour beauty were
placed by tender hands - and there Bronte's first hero in the conflict
of World War II was left to sleep beneath the wester stars, in the 
land which he loved and for which he was willing to die.

All turned sorrowfully away from the graveside, each with a new purpose
in his heart, to do his best to mete out justice to those war lords 
and legal murderers who have engulfed the world in bloodshed and death
in their frenzied seeking to rule the races of the earth.

Permission granted by Enterpriser/Observer for publication in the
Coke County TXGenWeb Archives