In April, daddy took many turns for the worse, but this brave soldier DID NOT give up!  As his body refused to do what he wanted it to, his mind became even more alert, and at times, I saw him reverting back to his survival training learned in the U.S. Army.  It was just second nature.  He refused to sleep even though he was heavily medicated for his pain.  He did not allow his weary head to rest on the pillow.  He leaned his head forward propping it on the bed rail, as though he were propping it on his gun in a fox hole.  Although daddy wore hearing aids and had cataracts on his eyes, during this time his hearing aids were not  in his ears, but his sense of hearing and sight seemed keener than ever before.  I caught a glimpse of the AWESOME soldier he once was.  He was a true survivor.  He wasn't going to let death sneak up on him.  He seemed to know every movement in the room even in the dark.  He saw every eye that peeped inside theroom even through a tiny crack.  Then the day came when he saw his mother.  She had been in Heaven for 3 years now.  But he was reaching for her and calling to her.  We knew then that his time was shorter than before.  He fought to remain aware, and at times it was miraculous how he seemed perfectly fine, and then within seconds he would be totally not himself.  Without true conscious effort, he fought to defend his post.  No one would get past him while he was on watch.  I watched daddy, and daily I saw the soldier return that I never knew who once defended and protected his Country and family for over 20 years in the military and each year thereafter as he fought a war inside himself that no one could see except through the deterioration of his body.  Daddy was a 27 year old Door Gunner in Vietnam in 1965-1966.  He survived three helicopter crashes while there.  While at the book signing of "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young," after learning that daddy was a Door Gunner with the 229th Assault Helicopter BN, and participated in ground battle with the 2nd BN 7th Calvary B Co., also in the battle at IA Drang: The battle that changed the war in Vietnam, General Harold G. Moore jokingly asked daddy what he was doing still alive, because he knew only too well what the life expectancy of a Door Gunner was ... little to none.  The Door Gunner's job was to hang out the door of helicopters with large guns strapped to them as they shot snipers out of trees, etc.  Often Door Gunners were clear targets themselves as they bravely risked their own lives to protect their fellow men and pick up the injured on the ground.  

God spared daddy many times.  But his battle with Agent Orange, a chemical sprayed in the jungles of Vietnam to kill the foliage, was taking its toll on daddy's body, as it ate away at his skin causing it to harden, in addition to several other diseases it caused, such as diabetes (with daily insulin shots), perifial neuropathy (loss of feeling in his fingers), interstitial fibrosis (hardening of the lungs), pulmonary fibrosis, congestive heart failure, etc, etc.  But daddy NEVER blamed the U.S. Army for spraying this chemical.  He said they did what they had to do.  As a matter offact, one day as I talked to daddy while he was laying in his hospital bed, daddy said, "Carol, if I could get out of this bed, I would gladly go today, and serve my Country again."  He told me that he never liked having to leave his family, but he gladly did so to keep his family safe.

From February to April 2005, I was able to get to know the side of the man, the soldier, the HERO I never knew.  Daddy was such a survivor, and I was and AM so very proud of him. 

Daddy was a Christian for many years, and he wrote and copyrighted hundreds of religious songs.  He also faithfully played his harmonica in church.  The last time he played was in early March 2005, oxygen tanks, wheelchair and all.  Daddy said it was such a wonderful experience, but he knew it was probably his last, because as he played his harmonica, the ceiling just seemed to open up revealing many angels, as well as other people he knew, but couldn't recognize their faces. 

One day, daddy told us that he knew a secret, and that we would know this secret, too, very soon.  Then he told us that he had seen Jesus.  

Billy J. Coleson "Mr. Gospel Harmonica" 66 years old, died Saturday, April 30, 2005, at Columbus Hospice House in Columbus, GA.   

Billy J. Coleson was a U.S. Army veteran and spent time in Indochina, Korea, Germany, and VietNam.  He went to NCO Academy, qualified with the M-1 Bar, and received the Expert badge with the M-14 and had received during his military career, the Good Conduct Medal (4th award), National Defense Service Medal, President Unit Citation, MDSM, Air Medal (1st - 17th Oak Leaf Clusters) Vietnam Service Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal (with 60 devices), 1 Overseas Service Bar, 6 Service Stripes and retired as Staff Sergeant.  He was also a member of the VFW and a member of Temple Baptist Church.

On April 30, 2005, a Hero went Home.  Billy J. Coleson is now a soldier in the army of God, and his membership has been transferred to Heaven.  He is in no more pain.  He can breath, see, walk, run and PRAISE OUR LIVING GOD!!!!

Thank you, daddy, for being my HERO!! 

I won't say "GoodBye," just "SEE YOU LATER" ....

I love you, daddy.

Your Little Girl (or "Angel" as you lovingly called me).

Matthew 25:21 - His Lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your Lord."