George Thomas Coker
George Thomas Coker (b. July 14, 1943 in Amarillo, TX) is a retired US Navy Commander noted for his leadership as a POW during the Vietnam War and devotion to Scouting.
The Scouting life
Coker grew up in Linden, NJ and earned the Eagle Scout in Troop 32 of Saint Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Linden, NJ on January 27, 1959. His passion for Scouting is one of the things that got him through his 6 1/2 years as a POW in North Vietnam. Coker is a former long-time Scoutmaster of Troop 62 in Virginia Beach, VA, where he has lived since the 1970s and a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow (OA). Currently he serves as the Lodge Advisor for the Blue Heron Lodge of the OA. Coker has said that Scouting 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 and not even the names of his family members.[1][2]
Military service
Coker served as a Naval Aviation Officer for 23 years in the US Navy. He and his pilot, John H. "Jack" Fellowes, were shot down while serving as the Bombadier-Navigoator of a A-6A Intruder from squadron VA-65 from the USS Constellation, CVA-65 over North Vietnam on August 27, 1966. He was not released until March 4, 1973. During his captivity, he was and still is, recognized as leader of the POW resistance movement. A fellow POW, CDR Paul Galanti, said "George is one of my heros...the real reason North Vietnam gave in (one the POW issue) was they wanted to get rid of George". [3] Coker was one of the fiercest resistors of his captors. [4] In a scene from the 1997 movie Faith of Our Fathers, a biography of Senator McCain, McCain's character attempts to memorize the names of fellow POWs.[5] Coker is one of the names he recites in the movie and book.
Coker was considered one of "the baddest of the baddest" of the POWs, a reference to his fierce resistance to his captivity.[6] Coker and U.S. Air Force Captain George McKnight (another of the "baddest") were cell mates for awhile and were the only POWs to ever escape from the Hao Lo Prison ("Hanoi Hilton").[7]
Vietnam-era POWs were released in order of capture. Fellowes and Coker were in the second large release group and were about #123 and #124. [8] Of their 2,382 days in captivity (6 1/2 years), 2 1/2 years were in solitary and 2 1/2 years in the "Hanoi Hilton". They spent time in several other POW camps around Hanoi also.
Military decorations
- Navy Cross
- Silver Star
- Legion of Merit + Combat V
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Bronze Star, two, + Combat V
- Air Medal, five
- Meritorious Service Award
- Navy Commendation, three, + Combat V
- Purple Heart, two
- Combat Action Ribbon
- Navy Unit Commendation
- National Defense Service Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal
- POW Medal
External links
References
- ^ {{Harvard reference | Surname=Brinkley | Given=Robin | Year= 2005 | Title=Lesson In Distinction | Edition=Aug 4, 2005 | Publisher=Beacon (supplement), Virignia-Pilot, pp. cover, 12-13
- ^ Award speech by George Thomas Coker accepting his Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Aug 9, 2005, Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Norfolk, VA
- ^ Galanti praising Coker
- ^ Senator John McCain's letter of endorsement to Coker's Distinguished Eagle Scout nomination, June 1, 2005
- ^ Faith of Our Fathers
- ^ Baddest of the baddest
- ^ *Coker's POWnet record
- ^ email from George Thomas Coker to Randy Everette, May 5, 2005