Second World War veteran recalls unique time spent in service

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -

Not all veterans served their country by fighting in the wars.

Some worked as medics or mechanics, while others spent their time overseas training those headed to the front lines.

Elden Coleman, who's now 101-years-old, spent his time in the Second World War as a physical education instructor.

"I wouldn't want to be in the army and be anything else but a phys-ed instructor," Coleman told CTV News.

Coleman, who's from and still lives in Magrath, Alberta, had just celebrated his 21^st birthday three days prior to joining the army in 1941.

He had been working as a carpenter, but when the job finished and the money dried up, Coleman couldn't think of a better next step in his life than joining the army.

Elden Coleman of Magrath, Alta.

He spent a short period of his basic training in Calgary and Ontario before being shipped out to England to serve.

It was there that Coleman was chosen out of his entire company to be the physical education instructor.

"I loved doing phys-ed and I was always coming in first or second or so, and I was chosen because of that," he said.

Coleman had always been athletic growing up, playing on the high school basketball team in Magrath and even winning a championship.

He was also an avid boxer and was excited to use this love of sports and athletics to help serve his country.

"We did a lot of track and field and competed with other units," said Coleman.

"I had a good time all the time I was there."

KEPT TROOPS ACTIVE

Coleman served for four years, 11 months and one day in that post.

He helped keep the troops active and get them ready for combat.

He also worked getting the wounded back in shape to either go home or be sent back to the front lines.

Starting out as a private, Coleman worked his way up the ranks.

"I got to be a full sergeant, right from the bottom up," Coleman explained.

"I was in charge of my own unit. It was interesting!"

He also earned three medals from the Canadian military for his continued service and for working overseas.

Along the way, he won 28 medals for competing against other Canadian athletes in sports like track and field and boxing.

Elden Coleman, 101 years old, of Magrath, Alta. served in the military as a phys-ed instructor

A DIFFERENT WARTIME EXPERIENCE

Coleman says his wartime experience was very different from many others, including his brother Duane who never made it home from France.

"They were going through a mine field and they had guns, the Germans had guns, pin pointed at this mine field and one bullet landed fairly close to them, hit a mine and killed the whole bunch."

When Coleman finally returned home, he spent time giving physical training to prisoners of war in Lethbridge before receiving an honourable discharge and returning to civilian life.

It was after that that Coleman met his late wife Marjorie and together they had four children; Wendy, Carol, Gary and Noreen.

Coleman is reflecting on his time in the army fondly now, but said one war was enough for a lifetime.

"It's interesting to be part of war, but I wouldn't want to do it again," he said.

Coleman currently lives in a senior centre in Magrath.