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Description
Oral history interview of Bill C. Coleman. Interview conducted by Thomas Sobien and Amelia Shermer at home of Bill Coleman, Orlando, Florida.
Log
0:10 Begin discussion of early life before service; 2:30 Sent to school in South Carolina in preparation for training at Citadel; 5:30 Inducted into military; 6:15 Basic training in Macon; 7:10 Rejected from Army Air Corps; 7:30 Signed up for paratroopers - went to Ft. Benning for training - discussion of training; 18:00 Got jump wings; 18:45 Got onto boat to go to England; 20:50 Arrived during Battle of Britain, got more training and British jump wings; 25:10 Preparation for jump into Normandy; 28:30 Description of entrance into D-Day Battle; 31:40 What happened after his jump - chaos; 36:30 First encounter with German soldier; 38:25 Finds other lost American soldiers; 41:35 Encounter with German soldiers; 44:40 German patrol/battle skirmish with; 49:50 Captured by German patrol, taken to POW camp; 51:50 Escapes death by firing squad; 53:00 Marched through conquered Paris; 54:20 Taken by train and marched to a farm - taken in by peasants; 59:00 In transit and then in POW camp in Dresden; 59:30 Firebombing of Dresden; 1:01:50 Recovering bodies in Dresden; 1:03:00 Taken to Sudetenland camp and left there; 1:04:00 Russians invade town; 1:06:30 Escape from camp with civilians; 1:09:00 Travel to army post; 1:12:15 Taken to recovered POW camp; 1:13:10 Boat back to USA; 1:13:30 Reunion with family; 1:13:40 Miami for R&R during hurricane; 1:14:00 Back to Ft. Benning, prep for going to Japan; 1:14:30 War ends, back home to Orlando; 1:15:15 Closing statements
Date of Birth
1925-01-21
Place of Birth
Martin (Tenn.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Tennessee
War or Conflict
World War II
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1942-02-08
Type
Audio; Sound
1945-02-08
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
101st Airborne Division, 506 PIR
Location of Service
Unspecified
Highest Rank
Staff Sergeant; SSG
Prisoner of War
Yes
Service Related Injury
Yes
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Unspecified
Achievements
See video for details.
Note
Not applicable
City of Birth
Martin
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Sobien, Thomas; Shermer, Amelia
Interview Date
4-13-2011
Location of Interview
Home of Bill Coleman, Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Coleman, Bill C.; World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives; Prisoners of War -- United States; United States. Army
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Sobien, Thomas; Shermer, Amelia
Length of Interview
76 minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
audio
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Coleman, Bill C. interview" (2011). Veterans Oral Histories. 30.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/30