Jesse Lorenzia Altman Jr.

Beaufort, SC- Jesse Lorenzia Altman, Jr., 76, died Saturday, January 31, 2004 at his residence. The family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 PM, Monday, February 2 at Copeland Funeral Home. Graveside services, with military honors, will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday at Beaufort National Cemetery. Colonel Altman was born February 8, 1927 in Houston, Texas, a son of Ida Ellis Fisher Altman and Jesse Lorenzia Altman. He spent his childhood in Houston and attended Houston public schools. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Houston at age 17. During World War II, he served overseas with the III Amphibious Corps on Guam, Okinawa and China and subsequently during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. During the Vietnam conflict, he served as EXO, H&S BN, Force Logistics Command in Danang. In the course of his 30 year Marine Corps career, he held every rank from Private through Lieutenant Colonel and served at many posts and stations around the wor ld. Colonel Altman spent 13 years overseas and held 22 medals and decorations. In 1947, he began boxing for the Marine Corps and was crowned 7th Fleet Champion. After recovering from a vehicle accident which left him paralyzed for a short time, he took up basketball. He was selected to join the All-Marine basketball team in 1948. He served as a recruiter in Houston during the 1950s, where he met his wife. He developed many programs to improve recruiting techniques. He brought some of these same ideas to the Beaufort Police Department, one of which was the Police Movie Club. He set up training programs with the local technical school and taught classes in ethics at the school. He also established a reserve unit for the Police Department. He attended 27 armed forces schools and graduated, Cum Laude, from the University of Hawaii in 1986 with a Bachelor of Education degree. He later received an Associates degree in Criminal Justice from Beaufort Technical College, graduating Summa Cum La ude in 1980. He was awarded a Masters degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina in 1983. Colonel Altman was serving as Depot Supply Officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, when he retired in 1974. Shortly after retiring from the Marine Corps, he accepted the position as Chief of Police with the City of Beaufort. He served in that position for 18 years and retired as Colonel. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Nora Stephens Altman of Beaufort; two sisters, Elizabeth Geraldine Green of Huntsville, Texas, Wanda Ann Bone of Bellair, Texas and a brother, James M. Altman, of Pt. Allen, Louisiana. Copeland Funeral Home Savannah Morning News, February 1, 2004 Please sign our Obituary Guestbook at www.savannahnow.com