Laurice Wallace Coulson

It was wonderful meeting all of you so sorry for your loss. Wendy CNA

Shirley and family, I was so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. Love, Pat

The Making of a Soldier SGT Coulson There are few things in this world that are as life-changing as the day that a young, barely able to shave boy makes the decision to wear the uniform of his country. It is usually a decision that comes with more than a little thought. It brings that youth face to face with his own mortality when his peers are merely intent on what car they want to drive or pretty girl to date. That youth knows that by raising his hand he is not just agreeing to do a job, but is agreeing to do a job that could very well mean losing his life for. There are few other jobs for a young man that brings that level of consequence. You, Sergeant Coulson, as a draftee, had your decision made that fateful decision many years ago. I’m sure there were many opinions from family members, friends and others as to whether this was right or wrong. In the end, your number was drawn and you received that heart stopping notification that was to change your life forever. The thought of entering the military consumed all of your waking hours as you anticipated that day of entering the US Army. Doubts and fears may have tried creeping into your consciousness, but the man in you kept those hidden from your friends and family. The paperwork was signed and the day was set for you to go to the induction station for your physical. All of a sudden, the wheels of the military were in motion and it seemed that you were simply along for the ride. Those little, almost hidden doubts still tugged at you. But now, you are in a room full of others just like you, sitting quietly in anticipation of what was next. When it was all said and done, paperwork completed, poking and prodding by the doctors finished, it was time to take your oath. With a room full of others, you listened to the officer explaining the process, and you felt an almost out-of-body experience as you and all the rest raised your right hands and repeated the oath as spoken by that officer. Your voice was crisp and clear, and you concentrated on each word to avoid making an error in the recital of them. In the 30 seconds or so that it took to take the oath, you were transformed from boy to man. To anyone watching, you looked the same. But you knew the moment the oath was completed that you were different, you were now a Soldier in the US Army. Many things happened after that day. The tearful parting from your loved ones as you boarded that bus, train or plane to head to your basic training location. You tried not to cry (now that you were a military man), but had that little speck of dust that made your eyes water a bit. The announcement came to board and there were hugs, kisses and goodbyes. What the friends and family did not realize at that moment was that you were already gone, preparing your mind for what was next to come. Your future started now. Those others in your group that were headed to the same basic training site probably became your best friends. You would meet many other people in the Army, but you would always remember those guys from basic training. You all shared a very special bond. All of you went your separate ways after basic according to the needs of the Army, some stateside and others to the front lines of the war that was raging in Korea. You were now a part of something bigger than yourself. Lives depended on you being able to do your job and do it well. For the most part, the decision as to where you were to go was not your decision to make. You went where you were told and did your job to the best of your ability. Combat was nothing like you had suspected. You found that it was a very personal experience that you could not really mentally prepare for and one that would be hard to explain to anyone that had not been there. At the end of each long day as you settled into your bunk, you found yourself drifting back home. The green hills and valleys of Wisconsin whispered a lullaby as sleep, like a warm blanket, covered you. Dreams of home, family and all that was good in the life you left behind showed in your mind’s eye like a Sunday matinee. All too often, you were awoken by the calming thunder clap of outgoing artillery or terror of incoming. True rest would not occur until that day when you again laid your head on a pillow in the comfort of home and embrace of family. I thank you for your service, and many other Americans are eternally grateful as well. You did what few others have stepped up to do, and at great expense and sacrifice. You sir, are an American hero. I am proud to have known you and the wonderful family you created. Whether your family knows it or not, your military service had a bearing on the women they became. Although we served in combat in different times and locations on the globe, we were brothers, Brothers-in-Arms. I raise my right hand in a salute to you Sergeant Coulson for your dedicated service to your country, your family and your God. You served this great nation with distinction, and I thank you for being one of those young men who raised his hand so many years ago. I am proud to call you Uncle and I love you……rest easy. Jeffery J. Boyer, Sergeant Major, US Army (Retired)