Retired Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Howard Coulson was born on April 11, 1948 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, the first son of Ross and Nora Coulson. He was raised in White Rock, British Columbia and graduated from Semiahmoo Senior High School in 1966. In 1967, after a year of extended study with the University of British Columbia, he applied for and enlisted in the United States Army. After attaining his Alien Registration Card, he attended Basic Training at Fort Lewis, Washington then shipped out to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for Advanced Individual Training with the Corps of Engineers.
Mr. Coulson is a Vietnam Veteran 1968 – 1969. He was stationed in Germany prior to ending his three year enlistment with an Honorable Discharge at the rank of Specialist Five. He returned home to British Columbia, but missed the Army and returned in February 1971. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood prior to another tour in Germany. While at Fort Leonard Wood, he met his future wife, Dorothy Ann Kenski on a trip to St. Louis. They were married in June 1972, and moved to Germany only to find out that after 40 days they were being sent to Fort Benning, Georgia as Staff Sergeant Coulson had been accepted to attend Officer’s Candidate School. He graduated from the school a 2nd Lieutenant in the Corp of Engineers in May of 1973. He then attended and graduated from the U.S. Army Parachute Jump Course before heading to Fort Belvoir, Virginia for the Engineer Officer Basic Course.
Upon completion of the course he was assigned as First Platoon Leader, Company C, 864th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. He obtained the rank of Captain and took over the Headquarters Company as its Commanding Officer before being sent back to Fort Belvoir for the Engineer Officer’s Advanced Course. Following this course he was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood once again to the Department of Plans, Training and Evaluation. Prior to his departure, he was selected and served a year as the Secretary of the General Staff before receiving orders for one more tour of Duty in Germany. While at Fort Leonard Wood, Mr. Coulson attended night school and completed his Baccalaureate Degree in Business from Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri. In this last assignment in Germany, he was the Director of Security, Plans, Operations and Training for the European Command Support Activity at Patch Barracks, Vaihingen, Germany. Upon completion of his three years and a promotion to Major, he was selected for and attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Prior to completion of the course, Mr. Coulson applied for and received his American Citizenship. Following Command and General Staff College he was assigned to the office of the Assistant Chief of Engineers, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. where he was a program manager for various projects in the build-up of Fort Drum, New York before being selected for the position of Protocol Officer for the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army. In November of 1986 he was selected and assigned to the Military District of Washington as the Chief, Ceremonies Division. There he remained until his retirement in April of 1996. During this assignment, he was privileged to be the key Army Officer responsible to the White House Military Office for training and readiness of the Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard Honor Guards support to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. He was directly involved in the Inaugural Ceremonies of President George H.W. Bush and President William J. Clinton and served these two administrations with honor in many ceremonies. In September 1993, he was also privileged to plan and to direct the retirement ceremony for General Colin L. Powell, USA, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During his tenure he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Following his tour in the military, Coulson was selected for the position of Secretary for the Association of the United States Army in Arlington, Virginia from which he retired in November of 2004.
Lieutenant Colonel Coulson, U.S. Army (retired) lost his wife, of 31 years after a seven year fight with renal failure in July of 2003.
He was a non-active Mason, Scottish Rite and Shrine member. He was an active member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Elks. He enjoyed all sports especially swimming, soccer and golf.
He remarried on 18 August 2006 and is survived by his wife Juanita McLean Coulson of the home, her son Luther S. McLean II and his wife, Jessica Anderson McLean of Marysville, Washington, and his brother, Richard S. Coulson of Ashcroft British Columbia. His brother Terry R. Coulson passed away on February 12, 2016.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Committee to Honor America’s Veterans.
Final rites will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Worthington Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Scott Tremaine and Kevin Johnson officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at Worthington Funeral Home.
Interment will follow at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA with full military honors at a later date.
