Obituary: Wilfred “Willie” Coolidge POLAND - Wilfred “Willie” Coolidge passed away quietly at home on April 10, 2021, after a brief illness, surrounded by those ... Share Wilfred “Willie” Coolidge POLAND – Wilfred “Willie” Coolidge passed away quietly at home on April 10, 2021, after a brief illness, surrounded by those who loved him dearly. Willie was born on Oct. 21, 1924, the second of what was to be seven children. He loved sports and while at Bethel’s Gould Academy played football, basketball, and baseball. Willie continued with Legion Baseball playing second base for years after his service in the U.S. Navy was completed. Hearing his Nation’s call, Willie enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 18, where he was selected to attend radio school in Boston and was assigned to the U.S. 7th Beach Battalion. Willie participated in the June 6, 1944 landings on Omaha Beach in Northern France. His battalion’s role was to establish and maintain shore-to-ship communications, and Willie’s skills as a radio man were highly valued. Although he seldom ever discussed those experiences, Willie was proud of the fact that he radioed in the command for General Patton’s tank division to come ashore. On Nov. 17, 2010, in gratitude for his courage, French President Nicolas Sarkozy bestowed upon Willie, France’s highest honor, the Legion of Honor.