Ken Coleman

When 17-year-old Ken Coleman was witnessing the impact the Vietnam War was having on his peers, he knew it was time to take his future into his own hands. Six months before his high school graduation in 1967, Coleman knew that the likelihood of being drafted was extremely high and chose to enlist in the U.S. Navy.

“I was seeing my friends getting sent to Vietnam and coming home in a wooden box. I decided that I would enlist, so I could decide where I would serve,” he says. His suspicions of being drafted were realized when, after a short time at boot camp, Coleman’s mother forwarded him a draft notice. Ken had indeed been called up for the draft but was already settled in with the Navy.

Having what he describes as a “good high school education”, Coleman entered the nuclear power field. One of Ken’s primary jobs was to work on nuclear submarines and train the people who would be on them. After two years on surface ships and four stationed at a submarine base, Coleman received Good Conduct, National Defense, and Reserve medals for his service.

Serving in the Vietnam Era, for Coleman, was an act of respect for our Country. However, despite not actually being in Vietnam, his service brought about mistreatment that is embarrassingly characteristic of that time. Coleman recounts stories of hitchhiking home while on leave and having to change into civilian clothes from his uniform due to passersby spitting at him and throwing drink cans at him. Regardless, Ken still looks back and sees value in his service, not just for its benefits to the U.S. but also for its benefits to him personally. “The military gives you a sense of responsibility,” he states, adding that it also teaches “discipline, being on time, and being organized.”

In 1973, Coleman’s Navy service came to an end, and he was suddenly searching for a way to use his acquired skills. “I got out during the first fuel crisis. I was from Ohio, and every one was getting laid off,” he remembers. Coleman decided to start applying with air conditioning companies in North Texas, eventually landing a job that brought him and his family to Richardson. A man of many skills, Ken dabbled in multiple fields over the next several decades: the AC business, car sales, real estate, and now, although officially retired, construction work.

A Forney resident for around 15 years, Ken and his wife Teri have five daughters and twenty-one grandchildren! In addition to continuing to work around thirty hours a week, Ken is a part of the Patriot Guard, a military escort group whose mission is “to shield families of fallen heroes from those that would disrupt the services of their loved ones”. Having personally endured disrespect as a veteran, protecting the families of heroes is essential.

Equally important, he reminds everyone that the individuals we see in service are simply fulfilling their duties. “When I was in [the military], we didn’t want to be in Vietnam. Our guys don’t always want to go to these countries. But we work for the government, and we do what we’re told to do.” This act of patriotism undeniably deserves our respect.