George Thomas Coker

Infobox Military Person
name= George Thomas Coker
born= Birth date and age|mf=yes|1943|7|14
died=
placeofbirth= Amarillo, Texas
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=photo courtesy USN
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Navy
serviceyears= 1963–1986
rank= Commander
commands=
unit= Attack Squadron 65, USS "Constellation"
battles= Vietnam War
awards= Navy Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart (2) POW Medal
laterwork= Distinguished Eagle Scout

George Thomas Coker (born July 14, 1943) is a retired US Navy commander, honored with the Navy Cross for his leadership as a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War, and a Distinguished Eagle Scout noted for his devotion to Scouting.

In 1966, the A-6 Intruder on which Coker was serving as bombardier–navigator was shot down over North Vietnam. He was held as a prisoner of war in the "Hanoi Hilton" and other camps for 6.5 years (1966–1973). After his release, he continued to serve in the Navy until his retirement in 1986. He also returned to active participation in Scouting.

Personal information

George Coker was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1943. In 1951, his family moved to Linden, New Jersey, where he became a New Jersey high school state wrestling champion in the 142 lb weight class and played high school varsity football. Coker attended Rutgers University from 1961–1963, where he also wrestled. While at Rutgers, he participated in an aviation officer cadet program and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. After his release from Vietnam, he returned to college to complete his degree. He graduated from the University of San Diego in 1976 with a BS in political science and then studied education and mathematics at Old Dominion University from 1982–1986. Coker is married and has two daughters and a son.cite web |last = Everette |first = Randy |authorlink = |coauthors = |date = May 5, 2005 |url = http://members.cox.net/scouting179/ScoutHistory.htm |title = Coker Interview |format = |work = |publisher = |accessdate = 2006-09-22]

couting life

Coker grew up in Linden, New Jersey and became an Eagle Scout in Troop 32 of Saint Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Linden on January 27, 1959. His passion for Scouting is one of the things that got him through his 6.5 years as a POW in North Vietnam, and he states that it is what got him through his darkest days in the POW camps – to the point that at times all he could remember was the Scout Oath, but not even the names of his family members.cite news |last = Brinkley |first = Robin |authorlink = |coauthors = |title = Lesson In Distinction |edition = The Beacon (supplement) |publisher = The Virginian-Pilot |location = Virginia Beach, VA |pages = cover, 12-13 |id = Aug 4, 2005] Award speech by George Thomas Coker accepting his Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Aug 9, 2005, Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Norfolk, Virginia.] cite web |last = Ray |first = Mark |authorlink = |coauthors = |year =2007 |url =http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0701/a-what.html |title =What It Means to Be an Eagle Scout |format = |work =Scouting Magazine|publisher =Boy Scouts of America |accessdate = 2008-07-06]

Both of Coker's older brothers were involved in Scouting and Coker first became involved when he joined Cub Scouts in late 1951. He completed the Cubbing program and joined Troop 32. Troop 32 had about a dozen members at that time but had over 60 members when Coker made Eagle Scout in 1959. During this time the troop formed an Explorer Post and Sea Scout unit. After making Eagle Scout, Coker joined the Sea Scout unit and worked at summer camp before the joined the Navy in October 1963. When Coker returned to Linden after being released from captivity, the Scouts were his biggest supporter. Troop 32 now had over 100 members. Local citizens turned out by the hundreds to greet him. Coker visited many of the local Scouting units. Coker was then inactive in Scouting during a busy Naval career, but got involved again when his son joined Cub Scouts as a Tiger Cub after the family had settled in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He became the den leader of 7 boys, all of whom earned their Arrow of Light, the highest recognition in Cub Scouting. They moved on to Troop 62, Virginia Beach, in May 1994; with five of them later becoming Eagle Scouts, including his son.cite web |last = Coker |first = George Thomas |date = July 31, 2006
url = http://members.cox.net/scouting179/ScoutHistory.htm |title = George Thomas Coker (item f)|format = email |publisher = George Coker |accessdate = 2007-12-10]

Troop 62's adults asked Coker to become Scoutmaster, a position in which he served for several years. Coker is also a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow (OA). Coker served as the lodge adviser for Tidewater Council's OA lodge, Blue Heron Lodge, from December 2005 until December 2007. He was honored by the Boy Scouts of America with their Distinguished Eagle Scout Award on August 9, 2005.cite web |author = |year = |url = http://members.cox.net/scouting179/Eagle%20Distinguished.htm |title = Distinguished Eagle Scouts |format = |work = |publisher = Troop & Pack 179 |accessdate = 2006-03-02]

Military service

Bombardier/navigator

Coker served as a naval aviation officer for 23 years in the United States Navy. He entered the United States Navy Reserve on October 31, 1963 and served until November 12, 1963. Coker entered service in Lakehurst, New Jersey. He was on active duty from November 13, 1963 until his retirement on September 30, 1986. [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 22, 2008.]

Coker took part in a 19-plane attack on a radar control facility in Kep, 38 miles northeast of Hanoi. In the face of flak, automatic weapons fire and extremely difficult weather conditions, Coker directed the pilot, navigated the plane, managed the ordnance system and used his electronic countermeasures equipment to provide protection for the strike group. The attack inflicted significant damage on the well-protected and dug-in radar station and its equipment, with all three radar stations out of operation and the target described as "obliterated". For his actions, Coker was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 29, 2008.] [Mohr, Charles. "3 More Oil Storage Sites Are Raided by U.S. Planes; 3 MORE OIL DEPOTS AROUND HANOI HIT", "The New York Times", July 1, 1966. "The target was near Kep, 38 miles northeast of Hanoi. All three rardar sites stopped operating and returning pilots said they had 'obliterated' the target"] ["Air and Ground Action in Vietnam", "The New York Times, July 1, 1966. "]

Coker was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions the following day, July 1, 1966. His plane was diverted to attack three North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin that were heading towards U. S. Navy destroyers in the area. Coker navigated to the scene and called out airspeed, altitude and dive angle to allow the pilot to focus their attacks on the enemy boats as they in turn concentrated their fire at Coker's plane. One enemy ship was hit and sunk, and a second was a near miss. The citation notes that "Lieutenant Coker's resourcefulness, superb airmanship, and courage in the face of great danger contributed materially to the success of the mission." In a two-hour long battle, all three ships were sunk by the U.S. Navy aircraft. [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 22, 2008.] [Sheehan, Neil. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40C17FE3E55117B93C0A9178CD85F428685F9&scp=1&sq=tonkin+attack&st=p "U.S. PLANES SINK 3 TORPEDO BOATS; Hanoi Vessels Hit as They Head for 7th Fleet Ships Planes of Seventh Fleet Sink 3 Torpedo Boats"] , "The New York Times", July 2, 1966. Accessed July 24, 2008.]

Coker was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for his actions as part of a coordinated 23-aircraft attack on petroleum storage tanks in Hai Phong on August 2, 1966, consisting of four waves of A-6 Intruders and A-4 Skyhawks, firing a combination of 750 and 1,00 pound bombs and rockets. The attack was the third in a series of attacks on North Vietnamese oil storage depots dating back to June. Despite have anti-aircraft fire Coker provided accurate guidance to the pilot on airspeed, altitude and dive angle, while operating both the attack navigation radar system and electronic countermeasures. Despite adverse weather conditions, Coker's actions contributed to an attack that destroyed all but one of the facility's storage tanks. [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 24, 2008.] [Welles, Benjamin. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A1FF83B55117B93C1A91783D85F428685F9&scp=2&sq=haiphong+attack&st=p "OIL AT HAIPHONG BOMBED 3D TIME BY U.S. AIRCRAFT; Pentagon Discloses Attack After Hanoi Protests to Control Commission NEUTRAL ZONE AT ISSUE Aide Hints U.S. May Refuse to Recognize a Part of It as Barred to Troops OIL AT HAIPHONG BOMBED 3D TIME"] , "The New York Times", August 3, 1966. Accessed July 24, 2008.]

Prisoner of war

On Coker's 55th bombing mission, he was a Lieutenant, junior grade serving as the Bombardier–Navigator on an A-6 Intruder from squadron VA-65 operating from the USS "Constellation", when he and his pilot, John H. "Jack" Fellowes, were shot down over North Vietnam on August 27, 1966 while flying near Vinh in Nghe An Province. The plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile which blew off the craft's right wing, and the two ejected from the plane after it went into a flat spin. Their wingman tracked the parachutes as the crew descended, but lost sight of them due to poor visibility and flak after the crew were within 50 feet of the ground. Coker and Fellowes landed 20 feet apart in a flat, well-populated area covered with rice paddies and were captured by armed villagers soon after landing. For three hours after they ejected American planes made a thorough search, despite moderate to heavy flak, but were unable to spot the parachutes or get a signal from their emergency beepers.cite book|last=Olson|first=James Stuart|title=Dictionary of the Vietnam War|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=Westport, CT|year=1988|pages=194|isbn=0313249431|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=u00YAAAAIAAJ&q=%22george+coker%22+vietnam+missions&dq=%22george+coker%22+vietnam+missions&pgis=1|accessdate=2208-06-24] Montgomery, Lacy. [http://www.navy.mil/search/displaybbs.asp?bbs_id=800&cat=5 "POWs' captivity, survival seen through Open Doors"] , United States Naval Academy, February 14, 2004. Accessed July 15, 2008.]

Coker was held by the North Vietnamese at a number of different POW camps in the Hanoi area, including Cu Loc, Alcatraz Grove and Hoa Lo Prison (the "Hanoi Hilton"). During his captivity, Coker was notable for the ferocity with which he resisted his incarceration.Senator John McCain's letter of endorsement to Coker's Distinguished Eagle Scout nomination, June 1, 2005.] cite book |last = Townley |first = Alvin |authorlink = |coauthors = |origdate= December 26, 2006 |url= http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/TD_TitleDetail.aspx?ISBN=0312366531|title = Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts |publisher = St. Martin's Press|location = New York |pages =pp. 64-74, 286|id = ISBN 0-312-36653-1 |accessdate= 2006-12-29] Coker was considered one of "the baddest of the baddest" of the POWs, a reference to his stubborn resistance to his captivity.cite web |last = Larson |first = Col. Gordon "Swede" |year = |url = http://www.soft-vision.com/hanoi/larson/bio_6.htm |title = Biography of Col. Gordon "Swede" Larson |format = |work = Col. Larson's home page |publisher = Col. Larson |accessdate = 2006-06-22] Coker's Silver Star citation cited his fierce resistance as one of the significant reasons the North Vietnamese eventually abandoned harsh treatment of the prisoners.cite web|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Silver_Star_Medal_-_G._T._Coker|title=Silver Star Medal - G. T. Coker|publisher=United States Navy|accessdate=2008-08-02] Coker served as Chaplain to his fellow prisoners while he was in captivity, providing them with spiritual guidance and constructive counseling. For these efforts, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.cite web|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Legion_of_Merit_-_G._T._Coker|title=Legion of Merit - G. T. Coker|month=March | year=1973|publisher=United States Navy|accessdate=2008-08-02]

In July 1967, Coker devised "unusual and ingenious methods" to allow his fellow prisoners to communicate with each other within their camp , assisting their collective efforts to resist their captor's demands and improving the morale of American and Allied POWs. For his "heroic achievement", Coker was awarded the Bronze Star. [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 22, 2008.]

That year, Coker and Air Force Captain George McKnight (another of the "baddest") conceived of an escape plan. The two would escape from their cells and make it to the nearby Red River, swim by night and hide by day, estimating that it would take three or four days to reach the mouth of the river. There they would commandeer a boat and make it out to sea where they hoped to flag down a ship of the United States Seventh Fleet, estimating that it would take eight days from their escape until their rescue.Rochester, Stuart; and Kiley, Frederick. [http://books.google.com/books?id=IGemFZmcn_AC&pg=PA326&lpg=PA326&dq=%22alcatraz+gang%22+coker&source=web&ots=Tjzt8WAdQu&sig=Vl3sh4r32Jk6h676H8O8gItsOr0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result "Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973"] , 2007, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1591147387, via Google Books, p. 326. Accessed July 8, 2008.] The two removed the hinges from their cell and escaped from Dirty Bird prison in Hanoi the night of October 12, 1967, climbed to the roof of the prison block and jumped to another roof to escape. They tied themselves together to avoid separation and jumped into the Red River near the Tanwa Bridge. That night they made it 15 miles downstream in the dark and hid in the mud on the river's edge at daybreak. The two were recaptured 12 1/2 hours after they had escaped when they were spotted by fishermen along the shore early that morning and were handed over to soldiers. They were held in irons at Hoa Lo prison before being returned to Dirty Bird a few days later. [Powers, John N. [http://www.axpow.org/files/bulletins/may2008.pdf "Vietnam Prisoners of War"] , "EX-POW BULLETIN the official voice of the American Ex-Prisoners of War", May 2008, Volume 65, Number 5, p. 10. Accessed July 4, 2008] [ [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/honor/filmmore/pt.html "Return With Honor" Transcript] , PBS. Accessed July 10, 2008. "That night uh, we decided to go so I sprang the lock uh, we uh, climbed up on the roof of our prison block and uh, jumped over to another roof., jumped over the wall. Ran down in the direction of uh, the Tanwa Bridge and then we tied ourselves together so we wouldn't get separated in the dark and then we jumped in the river and we proceeded to swim to California!"] Their effort made them two of the very few POWs to ever escape from a North Vietnamese POW camp. Coker was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's highest award for heroism, for his actions in his attempted escape as a prisoner of war. The citation reads in part:

:"...for extraordinary heroism during an extremely daring escape from a solitary confinement cell while a Prisoner of War in Hanoi, North Vietnam on 12 October 1967. During a period of particularly harsh treatment, Lieutenant Commander Coker and another prisoner executed an escape as a two-man team despite the high risk of brutal reprisal or possible loss of life. That night, after opening the cell door by removing door bolt brackets from inside the room, he proceeded over the wall and through several blocks of housing to the Domer Bridge. Walking under the bridge to the Red River's edge, he swam downstream all night and at sunrise buried himself in a mudbank in an effort to remain concealed. He was later discovered, recaptured, severely beaten for many hours, and banished to solitary confinement for two and a half years." [, United States Navy, undated. Accessed July 22, 2008.] [http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.asp?ID=49 George T. Coker] , Veteran Tributes. Accessed July 18, 2008.]

On October 25, 1967, Coker was one of 11 of the most effective resisters, among the 267 POWs then held, who were placed in a special facility in a courtyard behind the North Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, soon nicknamed "Alcatraz", located about one mile away from Hoa Lo Prison. Coker and McKnight were added to nine prisoners who had been at a facility nicknamed "Vegas": Jeremiah Denton, Harry Jenkins, Sam Johnson, James Mulligan, Howard Rutledge, Robert Shumaker, James Stockdale, Ronald Storz and Nels Tanner. While most of those among the Alcatraz 11 were senior officers, Coker was the youngest and most junior of those isolated from the other POWs. [Stockdale, James B. "George Coker for Beach Schools", letter to the "The Virginian-Pilot", March 26, 1996.] The 11, known as the "Alcatraz Gang", were separated from other captives and placed in solitary confinement for their leadership in resisting their captors. [Adams, Lorraine. [http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19920331&slug=1483968 "Perot's Interim Partner Spent 7 1/2 Years As Pow"] , "Dallas Morning News", March 11, 1992. Accessed July 2, 2008. "He [Stockdale] was one of the "Alcatraz Gang" - a group of 11 prisoners of war who were separated because they were leaders of the prisoners' resistance."] cite news |last = Johnston |first = Laurie |authorlink = |coauthors = |title = Notes on People, Mao Meets Mobutu in China |work= The New York Times |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70D12F63459147A93CAA81789D95F408785F9 |quote= |id = Dec 18, 1974]

On March 4, 1973, both Coker and Fellowes were released as part of Operation Homecoming.cite web |last = Coker |first = George Thomas |year = 1977 |url = http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/c/c089.htm |title = POWNet record of George Thomas Coker |publisher = POWNet |accessdate = 2006-06-22] Vietnam-era POWs were released in order of capture, and Fellowes and Coker were in the second large release group, about #123 and #124. Of their 2,382 days in captivity (6.5 years), 2.5 years were in solitary confinement and 2.5 years in the "Hanoi Hilton". They also spent time in several other POW camps around Hanoi.

Coker was promoted to full Lieutenant during his captivity. [http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/f/f043.htm John Heaphy "Jack" Fellowes] , POWnetwork.org. Accessed July 15, 2008.] He was awarded six decorations at a ceremony at North Island Naval Station in San Diego, California: Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, Legion of Merit, and Navy Commendation. In 1974, Mayor John Gregorio also presented him with a key to the city of Linden.cite book|last=Yeats|first=Lauren Pancurak |title=Linden, New Jersey|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Mount Pleasant, SC|date=2002-11-25|pages=131-132|isbn=0738563269|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=pN_gf0KQorIC&pg=PA131&dq=george+coker+%22navy+cross%22&sig=ACfU3U0mH60UhiFk4Yu6CilEiddft-QMPA#PPA131,M1|accessdate=2008-06-24]

Coker is one of the names of fellow POW's that future Senator John McCain recites in the 2005 film, "Faith of My Fathers"; a film based on the 1999 McCain memoir of the same title, "Faith of My Fathers".cite book |last= McCain |first= John |title= Faith of My Fathers |publisher= Random House |year= 1999 |month= August |url= http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780375501913.html|pages=page 206|quote="I tried to memorize the names of POWs, the names and personal details of guards and interrogators... to keep my faculties sound."|isbn= 0-7869-1850-8] Cite news|url=|title=How the POWs Fought Back|accessdate=2007-12-23|publisher=U.S. News & World Report|date=1973-05-14|author=McCain, John S.|work=archived U.S. News & World Report, (page 46 ff) article at Free Republic] The anti-war film "Hearts and Minds", which was critical of the United States' role in the Vietnam War, featured Coker briefly. Coker, at the time of filming, had recently returned from six and a half years of internment in North Vietnamese camps for American prisoners of war - where he had endured torture and other mistreatment by his captors. In one of the few scenes including individuals not critical of the war, the film details a homecoming parade in his honor in his hometown of Linden, New Jersey, where he tells the assembled crowd on the steps of city hall that if the need arose, that they must be ready to send him back to war. [Anderegg, Michael A. [http://books.google.com/books?id=kGyDjkIbifEC&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&dq=coker+%22hearts+and+minds%22+linden&source=web&ots=qcA6dG3Avd&sig=s5F94oQhxFFURk8AEpWvN5b130E "Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television"] , via Google Books, Temple University Press. Accessed January 10, 2008.] Answering a student's question about what Vietnam looked like, he responded: "If it wasn't for the people, it was very pretty."cite web|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/11/01/041101crci_cinema?currentPage=2|title=Aftermaths: Enduring Love, Hearts and Minds|last=Lane|first=Anthony|date=2004-11-01|publisher=The New Yorker|accessdate=2008-07-29] "Time" magazine's Stefan Kanfer criticized the lack of balance in Coker's portrayal, noting that " [t] he camera, which amply records the agonies of South Vietnamese political prisoners, seems uninterested in the American lieutenant's experience of humiliation and torture."Kanfer, Stefan. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,912958,00.html "War-Torn'] , "Time (magazine)",March 17, 1975. Accessed August 11, 2008.]

A fellow POW, CDR Paul Galanti, said "George is one of my heroes...but the real reason we're home is the bad guys wanted to get Coker out of the country. So, you see, George Coker is the real reason we were released."cite web |last = Galanti|first = Paul |date = May 5, 2005 |url = http://members.cox.net/scouting179/ScoutHistory.htm |title = Galanti (Coker) Interview |publisher =Tidewater Council|accessdate = 2007-11-05]

Military decorations

Among Coker's military decorations are the following:cite web|url=http://www.veterantributes.org/MacsFactsNo74.htm|title=Mac's Facts No. 74 NAM-POW Medals|date=2008-04-26|publisher=Veteran Tributes|accessdate=2008-07-17]

*
*
* + Combat V
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*, two, + Combat V
*, two
*
*, five
*, three, + Combat V
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*
*
*
*
*
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In retirement

In addition to continued Scouting activities, Coker has been involved in supporting ex-POWs for many years. In December 2004, he was elected Commander of his local POW chapter, the Tidewater ex-POW Association. Coker and his wife are also active in church and civic activities, such as counseling young married couples.

ee also

*List of notable Eagle Scouts

References

Further reading

*cite web |url = http://www.usni.org/navalinstitutepress/pow.asp |last = Fellowes |first = John H. (1932- ), Commander, United States Navy |title = Vietnam POW Interviews - Volume I |publisher = U.S. Naval Institute |accessdate = 2006-06-21
*cite web |url=http://www.nampows.org/room_7.html |title = Incredible Room 7 - Hoa Lo Prison |publisher = nampows.org |date = November 7, 2001 |accessdate = 2006-06-21

External links

* [http://www.nesa.org/awards/desa/index.html National Eagle Scout Association DESA]
* [http://members.cox.net/scouting179/Eagle%20Distinguished.htm Distinguished Eagle Scout listing]
* [http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/c/c089.htm Bio, Coker, George T.] , POW Network. Includes Coker statement after release from captivity. (URL accessed May 23, 2006)
* [http://www.tidewaterbsa.com/blueheron/ Blue Heron Lodge]
*imdb title|0444626|Faith of My Fathers

Persondata
NAME= Coker, George Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Vietnam-era POW hero and Distinguished Eagle Scout
DATE OF BIRTH= July 14, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH= Amarillo, Texas, United States
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=