Regional Oral History Office University of California the Bancroft Library Berkeley, California

Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Gordon Coleman: Oakland Army Base Oral History Project Interviews conducted by Lisa Rubens in 2007 Copyright © 2008 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Gordon Coleman date August 1, 2008. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, Mail Code 6000, University of California, Berkeley, 94720-6000, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Gordon Coleman, “Oakland Army Base Oral History Project” conducted by Lisa Rubens in 2007, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 2008. Discursive Table of Contents: Gordon Coleman Interview #1: April 6, 2007 [Audio File 1] 1 Personal and family background—upbringing in Oakland—education at Oakland Tech—African-American community and culture in the East Bay Area—1939 Fair— participation in a black post of the American Legion—Japanese internment in World War II [Audio File 2] 20 Entering the University of California in 1949—death of mother—ROTC at UC Berkeley—racism in the armed forces and as a youth—graduation from the School of Public Health—stationed in Korea, transport through the Oakland Army Base— assignment to the Oakland Army Base as an army reservist—military service experiences, with a focus on race—attending Howard University for graduate school Interview #2: April 30, 2007 [Audio File 3] 40 Racial climate and social connections at UC Berkeley—interracial fraternity at UC Berkeley—seeking work after college graduation—work at the Alameda Count Health Department—work with “Intergroup”—work with county jails—1960s social conflicts, including People’s Park and the Black Panther Party—connection to the Oakland Army Base as a reservist—description of work on the base [Audio File 4] 66 More on the reserve school—promotion to colonel in 1979 Interview #3: July 19,2007 [Audio File 5] 77 Oakland Army Base during the Vietnam War—growth of the NCO Academy and role as director of the academy—military training hospitals—African-American leadership in the army—Black politicians in Oakland—anti-war demonstrations at the Oakland Army Base—interactions with and thoughts about the Black Panthers—changing workforce at the Oakland Army Base—promotion to Commandant of Army Reserve School at the Presidio [Audio File 6] 110 Comparison of Fort Mason and the Oakland Army Base—work at the reserve school in San Francisco—attending the War College in 1981—retirement from the military— Oakland Army Base realignment and closure—travels in Africa 1 Interview #1: April 6, 2007 [Audio File 1] 01-00:00:23 Coleman: I'm Gordon Coleman. I was born in Oakland, California. Eighth of September, 1931. 01-00:00:29 Rubens: Now, Mr. Coleman, I want to thank you so much for being here today. What we are beginning, and today is Thursday, April 6, 2007. And you're here in my office, the Oral History office. And we're here, and I met you regarding to talk about your work at the Oakland army base. But, fortunately for us, it turns out that you have a very deep history in California. A deep history with the University of California and with Oakland, particularly your work, community service, family. And I think if we begin, let me just do a very thin line, your family background through Cal to the Army base. Then, another time we'll back up and layer it. So, you're born in Oakland, and where in Oakland, literally? 01-00:01:26 Coleman: OK. I was born in Oakland, California on 37th Street. And that was the beginning of the X-Entry to the Bay Bridge. It was right off of Market and MacArthur and 37th. MacArthur Boulevard, in those days, was 38th Street, because they changed the name during the war. And my grandfather lived across the street at 867 and I was born at 866. And I've got birth certificates and all that to prove that stuff. 01-00:02:00 Rubens: Your grandfather -- 01-00:02:01 Coleman: My grandfather was Dr. Gordon C. Coleman. 01-00:02:05 Rubens: So this was your father's father? 01-00:02:08 Coleman: My father's father. Now, my grandfather and my father were born in Scottsburg, Virginia. So was my mother. In fact, the family lived within three to five miles of each other. My grandfather went to Richmond Theological Seminary -- I forgot the name of the place. 01-00:02:33 Rubens: We can always add this information. 01-00:02:34 Coleman: Yeah. In fact, I can dig it up for you because I've got the name of it. But he had a degree in divinity back in the, oh, I guess 1800s. And then got a doctorate later in 1905 from Negro Baptist College and Seguin, Texas. 2 01-00:02:47 Rubens: In Virginia? 01-00:02:48 Coleman: From Virginia. He traveled and went through all of Virginia. Had pastorships -- he was an ordained minister -- pastorships in a number of churches. Ended up in Pennsylvania and about 1910 or 19 -- I'm not sure of the exact dates but it was the early 1900s -- he came to California to work for the American Baptist Association. And he came to North Oakland Baptist Church, which is still there on 32nd and Linden Street in Oakland, California. It had a small congregation. He built it up. 01-00:03:26 Rubens: He was married at the time? 01-00:03:28 Coleman: Yeah, my grandfather was married. In fact, my grandfather's interesting. He had three families. He had my father was his first child, Kyster, which is an interesting story. I'll tell you about that one of these days. The second family - - 01-00:03:43 Rubens: Kyster, meaning? 01-00:03:44 Coleman: Kyster, K-Y-S-T-E-R. 01-00:03:45 Rubens: That was the name of your father? 01-00:03:46 Coleman: My father. Kyster Barksdale Coleman. And that relates back to my great- great-grandfather who fought in the Civil War. So there's another story (laughs). 01-00:03:53 Rubens: So we'll pick that up another time. 01-00:03:56 Coleman: And then he had a second family of relatives who were born here called Sam, John, and Julia. 01-00:04:02 Rubens: Different wife? 01-00:04:03 Coleman: Different wife (laughs). And then his last wife, the grandmother I knew, was called Ruth. So he came here, set up his church, and built the biggest black Baptist church in the Bay Area. He had a disagreement with the Northern California Baptist Association, which was run by whites. At that time of the year, or the century, they owned the deeds to churches, they paid the salaries. 3 The deed to the church, the property, and the salaries. My grandfather says, wait a minute, something's wrong. Why do I have to have this organization owning my property? And they tell me what I can preach in church. And he says, no, no, no, no. So he broke away from them and formed the St. John Baptist Association. About this time, my father, who had been in World War One, had spent some time in France, had come to California. 01-00:05:02 Rubens: Had returned to California? 01-00:05:04 Coleman: No, first time. 01-00:05:05 Rubens: He was born in Virginia? 01-00:05:06 Coleman: My father was born in Virginia just like my grandfather was and my mother was. He came to California to be with his father. And he was then ordained a minister by my father and became a missionary. 01-00:05:21 Rubens: About how old was he? 01-00:05:22 Coleman: He was in his 30s. 01-00:05:23 Rubens: That old? 01-00:05:24 Coleman: Yeah. My father was -- he married my mother in, let me think, I had it somewhere here.

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