Early on the morning of September 3, 1925, a US Navy airship was flying over Noble County, Ohio when it encountered huge thunderstorms. The Navy was determined to promote the expansion of its "lighter than air" aircraft, therefore sent the Shenandoah on a public relations flight. But, the violent turbulence of the storm ripped the USS Shenandoah apart causing it to crash in several pieces. One half, containing the "control car" came down killing the commanding officer and thirteen of the crew. The stern half, plus several other pieces were able to float down as balloons saving the lives of the remaining 29 crew members. Within hours, over a thousand souvenir hunting citizens descended on the wreck and began carting off whatever they could grab. In short order, the Department of Justice began raiding peoples homes to retrieve what they could in order to assist in the crash investigation.
On board the Shenandoah was a Pensacolian by the name of Lester Knox Coleman. He was born in Moffat, Texas on March 15, 1895 to Annie Elizabeth Coleman (1865-1940) and an unknown father. Supported by the older children, Lester reached the 8th grade before leaving home to go to work. He became a machinist in Temple, Texas in 1915, a vocation that he would keep the rest of his life. There, he married Leara N. Bell. In 1917, he enlisted in the Navy during WWI and upon his return from the war, he reentered the Navy. After several duty stations, he found himself in 1924 stationed with the airships at Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The base was the home of the Navy's airship program since its beginning up until the 1930's.
Lester survived the crash of the Shenandoah and returned home to Leara and his two children. He remained at his Lakehurst duty station into the 1930's. By 1940, he was remarried to Nannie Jennings from the lumber town of Muscogee in Escambia County, Florida. He was working as an aircraft mechanic at the Naval Air Station, but returned to the Navy in 1941 to serve during World War II. He was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in 1943 and would retire in 1948. He passed away in Gonzalez, Florida in 1969.
His son, Lester Knox Jr. would become an engineer with Gulf Power Company in Pensacola, but enlisted in the Navy following Pearl Harbor. He left behind his wife Marjorie "Margie" T. Coleman at 1000 East Brainard Street and shipped out for the war. Lester Jr. was discharged on October 21, 1945 and returned to Pensacola as a meter reader.
Lester Knox Coleman c1925
The 29 survivors of the crash of the USS Shenandoah 1925
Lester Knox Coleman is second row, 2nd from left
USS Shenadoah
Book related to Lester's grandson, Lester Knox Coleman III