James Coleman (1924 - 1945)

Born 8 Apr 1924 in Texarkana, Bowie, Texas, United States

Died 15 Jun 1945 at age 21 in Italy

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Biography

James Coleman is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force 100th Fighter Squadron 1944-1945
Tuskegee Airman flying Ace

James was born in 1924 to William Coleman and Wessie Highshaw. ^[1]He was born in Texas, but his parents moved to Detroit, Michigan when he was young. He grew up in Detroit, and after completing high school, he entered the Tuskegee Air Pilot program as a cadet in the summer of 1944.^[2] He completed his training in September of 1944 and was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter group, based in Ramitelli, Italy.

2nd Lt. James Coleman was practicing dive-bombing on Jun 15, 1945, when his plane crashed and he was killed.^[3] He is buried in Sicily-Rome American Cemetery. A memorial stone is in theWoodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan.^[4][5]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHM1-98M : 10 January 2021), James Coleman in household of Wessie Coleman, Detroit Ward 7, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 84-322, sheet 1B, line 52, family 10, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1850.
2. ↑ Michigan Chronicle,6 July 1944, pg. 21.
3. ↑ https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=63093
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56307557/james-coleman
5. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214476302/james-coleman