‎[v5t1996.FTW]‎

‎[Br©iderbund WFT Vol. 5, Ed. 1, Tree #1996, Date of Import: Jul 19, 2000]‎

Frank Coleman was born Norman Gale; his name is so listed in the 1900 and1910 census for California. In 1914, he changed his name to FrankColeman and joined the Army, stating that he was born on July 14, 1893.His Army and Veteran Administration records carried this incorrect agethroughout the rest of his life. I ‎(Ray Coleman)‎ believe he had an unclewhose name was Frank Coleman; at any rate, his mother's maiden name wasColeman.

Frank was in the Army from October 29, 1914 through Janaury 5, 1918 andserved with the 40 et 8 in France ‎(as he has related to me)‎. He alsotold me he was held prisoner by a German who placed his rifle overFrank's heart and began to shoot. Frank twisted to the left and the gunflash burned him on the chest and the bullet passed through the flesh onthe under side of his left arm. He was exposed to mustard gas which, Ibelieve, was the basis for his medical pension from the V. A. At age 2 5,Army doctors estimated he had but 3 years to live. He seldom spoke ofhis Army service; I felt it to be a major accomplishment to have learnedthis much. V. A. records show he was a Private with the 148th ArmyRegiment and was stationed at Fort Baker near the end of his service.Fort Baker is located at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge and nearSausalito, California.

He was 43 years old when he married my mother, Virginia Morrison. It isfair to assume that he was likely married before and the collectivememories of my sister Jean and myself have come up with the nameJosephine and the locality of Sausalito. V . A. records do indeed showFrank's address as 131 - 2nd Street, Sausalito, California in the timeperiod from ‎(at least)‎ January 11, 1938 to April 18, 1939. I also havein the back of my mind the thought that Josephine wanted to adopt me or,at lea st, she would let me work summers at her ranch in California.

Frank Coleman and Robert Rye Chambers may have been acquaintances. Myuncle, Howard Morrison, thought they were Army buddies; this is notlikely as Bob was only 17 when Frank left the Army. They both hadtuberculosis, a common ailment in those yea rs, and may have possibly metin a hospital.