SN US Navy
World War II
John Roy Coley was born on September 11, 1929 in Haynesville, Louisiana, the youngest child of Joe Coley and Nora Dunham Coley. His father, who was in oil rig construction, led the family from town to town across Southeast Texas as they followed the oil boom of the late 1920's. At the age of 7, John's parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his mother and many times, his older siblings.
As America went to war, thousands of young men were called away to serve, leaving many jobs here at home vacant. At the age of 14, John took a job working on the Texas- Mexico Railroad which ran from Corpus Christi, TX to Monterey, Mexico. An older train engineer took John under his wing, teaching him mechanical skills and on occasion allowing him to be a conductor.
One important trait that was instilled in John at his young age was a love of his country and a desire to serve that country. As WW2 entered its final year, like so many young men of this generation, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers attesting that he was of legal age, though he was actually only fifteen. John began his service in the United States Navy, where he served proudly in the Pacific theatre. It became a defining time in his life.
Officially, he served with the rank of seaman first class. Unofficially though, he was a member of a special operations team which took part in dangerous covert missions. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, his team was tasked with the job of rooting out any remaining enemy combatants on the Islands of the South Pacific. It was there that John was seriously wounded in combat multiple times. Like so many men of this "Greatest Generation," he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences of war.In recent years, John finally related a few of the stories to his family. While on one mission, John happened upon a patrol of servicemen from a U.S. supply ship which had been ambushed by Japanese holdouts. Caught in crossfire, several of the servicemen on the ship had lost their lives. Risking his own life, John commandeered a machine gun and was able to penetrate the defenses and eliminate the enemy, saving the lives of the 30 or so remaining servicemen.
After being discharged from the Navy, John joined his family, who had moved during the war to Russellville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, was able to enter mechanics school at Arkansas Tech College. It was also about this time that he met a beautiful Arkansas girl named Reva Swopes. They were married on July 14, 1950 and soon began carving out a life together. In the spring of 1952, John attended a revival meeting at a small Baptist church in Chickalah, Arkansas. It was there that he gave his life to Christ.
In 1953, John was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserves, and wanting to start a family, the young couple decided to move to Texas where there was promise of more plentiful work. The move to Texas, though, was not going to be cheap…. It cost a staggering…. $100.00…. to move all of their furniture and belongings.
John worked for a short time with his father and brother, Budd, in Big Spring, TX, constructing Oil Rigs. In 1954, after learning of a new automobile plant being built by General Motors in Arlington, Texas, the couple relocated to Dallas, TX. John got a good job at GM, and there he was able to use his mechanical skills. In 1955, after having saved enough money, the couple purchased a home on Wofford Avenue in Dallas, where John lived until his death. In 1965, John and Reva adopted their son, Shaun. Two years later, he and Reva celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, Cherry. Their family was now complete. After having worked as an inspector at GM, John retired with 30 years of service in 1985. His retirement was short lived though. Soon John discovered it was probably in his best interest to occupy his time… away from the house… as it was apparent he was driving Reva crazy.
In 1986, John took a part time job at the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church, where he served as custodian. He had to quickly learn all the little things that a good custodian does. One of those things was making sure that the restrooms always had plenty of toilet paper. But in those first few days this proved to be quite a challenge for him. Even with all of his mechanical skills, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open these new style paper dispensers. By the third day, he had threatened that if couldn't figure it out; he would use his hammer to solve the problem. A very conscientious and faithful employee, he soon became beloved by many of the church staff and members... and even though they had differences in their beliefs, that didn't stop John from sharing his faith. He always went above and beyond his required duties and John even spent extra time looking after the elderly and handicapped of the church. He would often create things to make it easier for them to get around… He even carried their plates of food at church dinners. As time went on though, the years were starting to catch up to him. In 1997 he retired from the job that he had enjoyed so much, having served there 11 years. It was also during this time, perhaps as a result of his service in the navy, that John became an avid collector of firearms and military memorabilia…. a hobby which he enjoyed until his death. He became a regular fixture at what was then known as the "Ammo Depot" in Mesquite. Here he developed relationships with not only the owners and staff, but also many of the customers, including local peace officers. He was able to impart much of his knowledge and love of firearms to just about everyone who came in the store. As he got older, he was not able to stand as long as he use to. The employees of Ammo Depot provided John with his own special chair that even had his name on it. When John came in the store… if another customer happened to be sitting in the chair… they were kindly asked by management to get up. From this perch, he was able to regale customers with his knowledge… and many, many stories.
Though healthy most of his life, in 2007 John's health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He lost the toes on his left foot… but this only temporarily slowed him down. In 2008 John suffered a major setback when he contracted pneumonia, which almost took his life. He spent 2 weeks on life support and nearly 3 months in recovery and rehab. Though at times John became very tired, his fighting spirit never gave up. It was during this time, and his hospitalizations in the following years, where John may have served his greatest role in life. He used his time in the hospital to share his faith with nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel. According to Reva, his favorite book of the Bible was Romans. John felt that the book very clearly and succinctly laid out the plan of salvation, a tenet of the faith he held very dear.
John wasn't a great businessman or a well-known leader… but he was a great father and husband, who worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He wanted them to have the foundation and education he was never able to attain. He dedicated his life to providing for them and made sure his children were "raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." On September 21, 2011 the Lord called John Roy Coley home to Him.
World War II
John Roy Coley was born on September 11, 1929 in Haynesville, Louisiana, the youngest child of Joe Coley and Nora Dunham Coley. His father, who was in oil rig construction, led the family from town to town across Southeast Texas as they followed the oil boom of the late 1920's. At the age of 7, John's parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his mother and many times, his older siblings.
As America went to war, thousands of young men were called away to serve, leaving many jobs here at home vacant. At the age of 14, John took a job working on the Texas- Mexico Railroad which ran from Corpus Christi, TX to Monterey, Mexico. An older train engineer took John under his wing, teaching him mechanical skills and on occasion allowing him to be a conductor.
One important trait that was instilled in John at his young age was a love of his country and a desire to serve that country. As WW2 entered its final year, like so many young men of this generation, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers attesting that he was of legal age, though he was actually only fifteen. John began his service in the United States Navy, where he served proudly in the Pacific theatre. It became a defining time in his life.
Officially, he served with the rank of seaman first class. Unofficially though, he was a member of a special operations team which took part in dangerous covert missions. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, his team was tasked with the job of rooting out any remaining enemy combatants on the Islands of the South Pacific. It was there that John was seriously wounded in combat multiple times. Like so many men of this "Greatest Generation," he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences of war.In recent years, John finally related a few of the stories to his family. While on one mission, John happened upon a patrol of servicemen from a U.S. supply ship which had been ambushed by Japanese holdouts. Caught in crossfire, several of the servicemen on the ship had lost their lives. Risking his own life, John commandeered a machine gun and was able to penetrate the defenses and eliminate the enemy, saving the lives of the 30 or so remaining servicemen.
After being discharged from the Navy, John joined his family, who had moved during the war to Russellville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, was able to enter mechanics school at Arkansas Tech College. It was also about this time that he met a beautiful Arkansas girl named Reva Swopes. They were married on July 14, 1950 and soon began carving out a life together. In the spring of 1952, John attended a revival meeting at a small Baptist church in Chickalah, Arkansas. It was there that he gave his life to Christ.
In 1953, John was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserves, and wanting to start a family, the young couple decided to move to Texas where there was promise of more plentiful work. The move to Texas, though, was not going to be cheap…. It cost a staggering…. $100.00…. to move all of their furniture and belongings.
John worked for a short time with his father and brother, Budd, in Big Spring, TX, constructing Oil Rigs. In 1954, after learning of a new automobile plant being built by General Motors in Arlington, Texas, the couple relocated to Dallas, TX. John got a good job at GM, and there he was able to use his mechanical skills. In 1955, after having saved enough money, the couple purchased a home on Wofford Avenue in Dallas, where John lived until his death. In 1965, John and Reva adopted their son, Shaun. Two years later, he and Reva celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, Cherry. Their family was now complete. After having worked as an inspector at GM, John retired with 30 years of service in 1985. His retirement was short lived though. Soon John discovered it was probably in his best interest to occupy his time… away from the house… as it was apparent he was driving Reva crazy.
In 1986, John took a part time job at the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church, where he served as custodian. He had to quickly learn all the little things that a good custodian does. One of those things was making sure that the restrooms always had plenty of toilet paper. But in those first few days this proved to be quite a challenge for him. Even with all of his mechanical skills, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open these new style paper dispensers. By the third day, he had threatened that if couldn't figure it out; he would use his hammer to solve the problem. A very conscientious and faithful employee, he soon became beloved by many of the church staff and members... and even though they had differences in their beliefs, that didn't stop John from sharing his faith. He always went above and beyond his required duties and John even spent extra time looking after the elderly and handicapped of the church. He would often create things to make it easier for them to get around… He even carried their plates of food at church dinners. As time went on though, the years were starting to catch up to him. In 1997 he retired from the job that he had enjoyed so much, having served there 11 years. It was also during this time, perhaps as a result of his service in the navy, that John became an avid collector of firearms and military memorabilia…. a hobby which he enjoyed until his death. He became a regular fixture at what was then known as the "Ammo Depot" in Mesquite. Here he developed relationships with not only the owners and staff, but also many of the customers, including local peace officers. He was able to impart much of his knowledge and love of firearms to just about everyone who came in the store. As he got older, he was not able to stand as long as he use to. The employees of Ammo Depot provided John with his own special chair that even had his name on it. When John came in the store… if another customer happened to be sitting in the chair… they were kindly asked by management to get up. From this perch, he was able to regale customers with his knowledge… and many, many stories.
Though healthy most of his life, in 2007 John's health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He lost the toes on his left foot… but this only temporarily slowed him down. In 2008 John suffered a major setback when he contracted pneumonia, which almost took his life. He spent 2 weeks on life support and nearly 3 months in recovery and rehab. Though at times John became very tired, his fighting spirit never gave up. It was during this time, and his hospitalizations in the following years, where John may have served his greatest role in life. He used his time in the hospital to share his faith with nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel. According to Reva, his favorite book of the Bible was Romans. John felt that the book very clearly and succinctly laid out the plan of salvation, a tenet of the faith he held very dear.
John wasn't a great businessman or a well-known leader… but he was a great father and husband, who worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He wanted them to have the foundation and education he was never able to attain. He dedicated his life to providing for them and made sure his children were "raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." On September 21, 2011 the Lord called John Roy Coley home to Him.
SN US Navy
World War II
John Roy Coley was born on September 11, 1929 in Haynesville, Louisiana, the youngest child of Joe Coley and Nora Dunham Coley. His father, who was in oil rig construction, led the family from town to town across Southeast Texas as they followed the oil boom of the late 1920's. At the age of 7, John's parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his mother and many times, his older siblings.
As America went to war, thousands of young men were called away to serve, leaving many jobs here at home vacant. At the age of 14, John took a job working on the Texas- Mexico Railroad which ran from Corpus Christi, TX to Monterey, Mexico. An older train engineer took John under his wing, teaching him mechanical skills and on occasion allowing him to be a conductor.
One important trait that was instilled in John at his young age was a love of his country and a desire to serve that country. As WW2 entered its final year, like so many young men of this generation, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers attesting that he was of legal age, though he was actually only fifteen. John began his service in the United States Navy, where he served proudly in the Pacific theatre. It became a defining time in his life.
Officially, he served with the rank of seaman first class. Unofficially though, he was a member of a special operations team which took part in dangerous covert missions. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, his team was tasked with the job of rooting out any remaining enemy combatants on the Islands of the South Pacific. It was there that John was seriously wounded in combat multiple times. Like so many men of this "Greatest Generation," he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences of war.In recent years, John finally related a few of the stories to his family. While on one mission, John happened upon a patrol of servicemen from a U.S. supply ship which had been ambushed by Japanese holdouts. Caught in crossfire, several of the servicemen on the ship had lost their lives. Risking his own life, John commandeered a machine gun and was able to penetrate the defenses and eliminate the enemy, saving the lives of the 30 or so remaining servicemen.
After being discharged from the Navy, John joined his family, who had moved during the war to Russellville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, was able to enter mechanics school at Arkansas Tech College. It was also about this time that he met a beautiful Arkansas girl named Reva Swopes. They were married on July 14, 1950 and soon began carving out a life together. In the spring of 1952, John attended a revival meeting at a small Baptist church in Chickalah, Arkansas. It was there that he gave his life to Christ.
In 1953, John was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserves, and wanting to start a family, the young couple decided to move to Texas where there was promise of more plentiful work. The move to Texas, though, was not going to be cheap…. It cost a staggering…. $100.00…. to move all of their furniture and belongings.
John worked for a short time with his father and brother, Budd, in Big Spring, TX, constructing Oil Rigs. In 1954, after learning of a new automobile plant being built by General Motors in Arlington, Texas, the couple relocated to Dallas, TX. John got a good job at GM, and there he was able to use his mechanical skills. In 1955, after having saved enough money, the couple purchased a home on Wofford Avenue in Dallas, where John lived until his death. In 1965, John and Reva adopted their son, Shaun. Two years later, he and Reva celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, Cherry. Their family was now complete. After having worked as an inspector at GM, John retired with 30 years of service in 1985. His retirement was short lived though. Soon John discovered it was probably in his best interest to occupy his time… away from the house… as it was apparent he was driving Reva crazy.
In 1986, John took a part time job at the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church, where he served as custodian. He had to quickly learn all the little things that a good custodian does. One of those things was making sure that the restrooms always had plenty of toilet paper. But in those first few days this proved to be quite a challenge for him. Even with all of his mechanical skills, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open these new style paper dispensers. By the third day, he had threatened that if couldn't figure it out; he would use his hammer to solve the problem. A very conscientious and faithful employee, he soon became beloved by many of the church staff and members... and even though they had differences in their beliefs, that didn't stop John from sharing his faith. He always went above and beyond his required duties and John even spent extra time looking after the elderly and handicapped of the church. He would often create things to make it easier for them to get around… He even carried their plates of food at church dinners. As time went on though, the years were starting to catch up to him. In 1997 he retired from the job that he had enjoyed so much, having served there 11 years. It was also during this time, perhaps as a result of his service in the navy, that John became an avid collector of firearms and military memorabilia…. a hobby which he enjoyed until his death. He became a regular fixture at what was then known as the "Ammo Depot" in Mesquite. Here he developed relationships with not only the owners and staff, but also many of the customers, including local peace officers. He was able to impart much of his knowledge and love of firearms to just about everyone who came in the store. As he got older, he was not able to stand as long as he use to. The employees of Ammo Depot provided John with his own special chair that even had his name on it. When John came in the store… if another customer happened to be sitting in the chair… they were kindly asked by management to get up. From this perch, he was able to regale customers with his knowledge… and many, many stories.
Though healthy most of his life, in 2007 John's health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He lost the toes on his left foot… but this only temporarily slowed him down. In 2008 John suffered a major setback when he contracted pneumonia, which almost took his life. He spent 2 weeks on life support and nearly 3 months in recovery and rehab. Though at times John became very tired, his fighting spirit never gave up. It was during this time, and his hospitalizations in the following years, where John may have served his greatest role in life. He used his time in the hospital to share his faith with nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel. According to Reva, his favorite book of the Bible was Romans. John felt that the book very clearly and succinctly laid out the plan of salvation, a tenet of the faith he held very dear.
John wasn't a great businessman or a well-known leader… but he was a great father and husband, who worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He wanted them to have the foundation and education he was never able to attain. He dedicated his life to providing for them and made sure his children were "raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." On September 21, 2011 the Lord called John Roy Coley home to Him.
World War II
John Roy Coley was born on September 11, 1929 in Haynesville, Louisiana, the youngest child of Joe Coley and Nora Dunham Coley. His father, who was in oil rig construction, led the family from town to town across Southeast Texas as they followed the oil boom of the late 1920's. At the age of 7, John's parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his mother and many times, his older siblings.
As America went to war, thousands of young men were called away to serve, leaving many jobs here at home vacant. At the age of 14, John took a job working on the Texas- Mexico Railroad which ran from Corpus Christi, TX to Monterey, Mexico. An older train engineer took John under his wing, teaching him mechanical skills and on occasion allowing him to be a conductor.
One important trait that was instilled in John at his young age was a love of his country and a desire to serve that country. As WW2 entered its final year, like so many young men of this generation, he convinced his mother to sign enlistment papers attesting that he was of legal age, though he was actually only fifteen. John began his service in the United States Navy, where he served proudly in the Pacific theatre. It became a defining time in his life.
Officially, he served with the rank of seaman first class. Unofficially though, he was a member of a special operations team which took part in dangerous covert missions. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, his team was tasked with the job of rooting out any remaining enemy combatants on the Islands of the South Pacific. It was there that John was seriously wounded in combat multiple times. Like so many men of this "Greatest Generation," he was very reluctant to talk about his experiences of war.In recent years, John finally related a few of the stories to his family. While on one mission, John happened upon a patrol of servicemen from a U.S. supply ship which had been ambushed by Japanese holdouts. Caught in crossfire, several of the servicemen on the ship had lost their lives. Risking his own life, John commandeered a machine gun and was able to penetrate the defenses and eliminate the enemy, saving the lives of the 30 or so remaining servicemen.
After being discharged from the Navy, John joined his family, who had moved during the war to Russellville, Arkansas. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, was able to enter mechanics school at Arkansas Tech College. It was also about this time that he met a beautiful Arkansas girl named Reva Swopes. They were married on July 14, 1950 and soon began carving out a life together. In the spring of 1952, John attended a revival meeting at a small Baptist church in Chickalah, Arkansas. It was there that he gave his life to Christ.
In 1953, John was honorably discharged from the Navy Reserves, and wanting to start a family, the young couple decided to move to Texas where there was promise of more plentiful work. The move to Texas, though, was not going to be cheap…. It cost a staggering…. $100.00…. to move all of their furniture and belongings.
John worked for a short time with his father and brother, Budd, in Big Spring, TX, constructing Oil Rigs. In 1954, after learning of a new automobile plant being built by General Motors in Arlington, Texas, the couple relocated to Dallas, TX. John got a good job at GM, and there he was able to use his mechanical skills. In 1955, after having saved enough money, the couple purchased a home on Wofford Avenue in Dallas, where John lived until his death. In 1965, John and Reva adopted their son, Shaun. Two years later, he and Reva celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, Cherry. Their family was now complete. After having worked as an inspector at GM, John retired with 30 years of service in 1985. His retirement was short lived though. Soon John discovered it was probably in his best interest to occupy his time… away from the house… as it was apparent he was driving Reva crazy.
In 1986, John took a part time job at the Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church, where he served as custodian. He had to quickly learn all the little things that a good custodian does. One of those things was making sure that the restrooms always had plenty of toilet paper. But in those first few days this proved to be quite a challenge for him. Even with all of his mechanical skills, it took him 3 days to figure out how to open these new style paper dispensers. By the third day, he had threatened that if couldn't figure it out; he would use his hammer to solve the problem. A very conscientious and faithful employee, he soon became beloved by many of the church staff and members... and even though they had differences in their beliefs, that didn't stop John from sharing his faith. He always went above and beyond his required duties and John even spent extra time looking after the elderly and handicapped of the church. He would often create things to make it easier for them to get around… He even carried their plates of food at church dinners. As time went on though, the years were starting to catch up to him. In 1997 he retired from the job that he had enjoyed so much, having served there 11 years. It was also during this time, perhaps as a result of his service in the navy, that John became an avid collector of firearms and military memorabilia…. a hobby which he enjoyed until his death. He became a regular fixture at what was then known as the "Ammo Depot" in Mesquite. Here he developed relationships with not only the owners and staff, but also many of the customers, including local peace officers. He was able to impart much of his knowledge and love of firearms to just about everyone who came in the store. As he got older, he was not able to stand as long as he use to. The employees of Ammo Depot provided John with his own special chair that even had his name on it. When John came in the store… if another customer happened to be sitting in the chair… they were kindly asked by management to get up. From this perch, he was able to regale customers with his knowledge… and many, many stories.
Though healthy most of his life, in 2007 John's health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with diabetes. He lost the toes on his left foot… but this only temporarily slowed him down. In 2008 John suffered a major setback when he contracted pneumonia, which almost took his life. He spent 2 weeks on life support and nearly 3 months in recovery and rehab. Though at times John became very tired, his fighting spirit never gave up. It was during this time, and his hospitalizations in the following years, where John may have served his greatest role in life. He used his time in the hospital to share his faith with nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel. According to Reva, his favorite book of the Bible was Romans. John felt that the book very clearly and succinctly laid out the plan of salvation, a tenet of the faith he held very dear.
John wasn't a great businessman or a well-known leader… but he was a great father and husband, who worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He wanted them to have the foundation and education he was never able to attain. He dedicated his life to providing for them and made sure his children were "raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." On September 21, 2011 the Lord called John Roy Coley home to Him.
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