Ronald L. Coker, Medal of Honor recipient | |
Born | August 9, 1947 Alliance, Nebraska |
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Died | March 24, 1969 (aged 21) Quang Tri Province, Vietnam |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
Years of service | 1968-1969 |
Rank | Private First Class |
Unit | 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War† |
Awards | Medal of Honor (1969) Purple Heart |
Ronald Leroy Coker (August 9, 1947 – March 24, 1969) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in March 1969.
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Biography[edit]
Coker was born on August 9, 1947, in Alliance, Nebraska. He attended District 78 Rural Elementary School in Alliance, Alliance High School, and Denver Colorado Automotive School.
Drafted by the Selective Service Board in Alliance, he entered the United States Marine Corps at Denver, Colorado on April 16, 1968.
He completed recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, in June 1968; individual combat training with Company Z, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Pendleton, California, in July 1968; and basic infantry training with Rifle Training Company, Basic Infantry Training Battalion, 2d Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Pendleton, in August. He was promoted to private first class on September 1, 1968.
Private First Class Coker then joined a replacement company, Staging Battalion, at Camp Pendleton, for transfer to the Republic of Vietnam.
Upon his arrival in Vietnam, in November 1968, he was assigned duty as a rifleman with Company M, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. While serving in this capacity, he was killed in action in the northwest section of Quang Tri Province, on March 24, 1969.[1]
Decorations[edit]
A complete list of his medals and decorations includes: the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Medal of Honor | Purple Heart | ||||
National Defense Service Medal | Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
Medal of Honor citation[edit]
The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS RONALD L. COKER
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
- For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company M, Third Battalion, Third Marines, Third Marine Division in action against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam. On March 24, 1969, while serving as Point Man for the Second Platoon, Private First Class Coker was leading his patrol when he encountered five enemy soldiers on a narrow jungle trail. Reacting instantly, he warned the Marines following him and wounded one of the enemy soldiers with his M16 rifle. When the enemy retreated, Private First Class Coker's squad aggressively pursued them to cave. As the squad neared the cave, it came under intense hostile fire, seriously wounding one Marine and forcing the others to take cover. Observing the wounded man lying exposed to continuous enemy fire, Private First Class Coker disregarded his own safety and moved across the fire-swept terrain toward his companion. Although wounded by enemy small arms fire, he ignored his injury as he resolutely continued to crawl across the hazardous area and then skillfully threw a hand grenade into the enemy positions, suppressing the hostile fire sufficiently to enable him to reach the wounded man. As he began to drag his injured comrade out of the enemy's killing zone, a hostile grenade landed on the wounded Marine. Unhesitatingly, Private First Class Coker grabbed the grenade with both hands and turned away from his wounded companion but, before he could dispose of the grenade it exploded. Severely wounded but undaunted he refused to abandon his comrade. As he moved toward friendly lines, two more enemy grenades exploded near him inflicting still further injuries. Possessed only with the safety of his comrade, Private First Class Coker, with supreme effort, continued to attempt to crawl and pull the wounded Marine with him. His heroic deeds inspired his fellow Marines to such aggressive action that the North Vietnamese fire was suppressed sufficiently to enable others to reach him and carrying him to a relatively safe area where he later succumbed to his extensive wounds. Private First Class Coker's indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
/S/ RICHARD M. NIXON
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Smith, Charles (1988). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown 1969. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 362. ISBN978-1494287627.
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- 'Ronald L. Coker, Medal of Honor recipient'. Who's who in Marine Corps history. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- 'Medal of Honor — PFC Ronald L. Coker (Medal of Honor citation)'. Marines Awarded the Medal of Honor. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ronald_L._Coker&oldid=847085430'
Born | July 13, 1928 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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Died | August 3, 1999 (aged 71) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Double bass |
Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazzbassist. Born in Indianapolis, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic 'walking' bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname 'The Walker'. Besides his jazz work, he also appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview.[1]
- 2Discography
Music career[edit]
He recorded extensively as both a leader and sideman. He came to public attention in the 1950s as a result of recording with Lee Konitz, André Previn, Stan Getz, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Joe Castro and Serge Chaloff.[1]
He played bass on Previn and Manne's My Fair Lady album, one of the most successful jazz records ever produced. He also performed on another of jazz's biggest hit albums, Eddie Harris and Les McCann's Swiss Movement, released in 1969. Vinnegar also performed at the famous Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California, and Diggers in East Los Angeles in the late 1950s with drummer/pianist Don Joham along with other musicians. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 1986. In 1995, the Oregon State Legislature honored him by proclaiming May 1 Leroy Vinnegar Day.
Vinnegar died of a heart attack, at the age of 71, on August 3, 1999, in a hospital in Portland.
Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
- Leroy Walks! (Contemporary, 1958)
- Leroy Walks Again!! (Contemporary, 1963)
- Jazz's Great 'Walker' (Vee Jay, 1964)
- Glass of Water (Legend, 1973)
- The Kid (PBR, 1974; Q-Tape, 2005)
- Walkin' the Basses (Contemporary, 1992)
As sideman[edit]
With Pepper Adams
- Pepper Adams Quintet (Mode, 1956)
With Stan Getz and Lionel Hampton
- Hamp and Getz (Norgran, 1955)
With Chet Baker
- Quartet: Russ Freeman/Chet Baker (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
With Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan
- Who Drank My Beer? (Kicking Mule, 1983)
- Bloodshot Eyes (Flying Fish, 1986)
With Conte Candoli
- West Coast Wailers (Atlantic, 1955) with Lou Levy
- Little Band Big Jazz (Crown, 1960)
With Benny Carter
- Jazz Giant (Contemporary, 1958)
- Swingin' the '20s (Contemporary, 1958)
- Sax ala Carter! (United Artists, 1960)
- BBB & Co. (Swingville, 1962) with Ben Webster and Barney Bigard
With Joe Castro
- Live at Falcon's Lair! (Pablo, 1956)
- Groove Funk Soul (Atlantic, 1959)
- At Falcon's Lair with Joe Castro (1959)
With Serge Chaloff
- Blue Serge (Capitol, 1956)
With Dolo Coker
- Dolo! (Xanadu, 1976)
- California Hard (Xanadu, 1977)
- Third Down (Xanadu, 1977)
- Xanadu in Africa (Xanadu, 1980) with Al Cohn, Billy Mitchell and Frank Butler
- Night Flight to Dakar (Xanadu, 1980) with Al Cohn, Billy Mitchell and Frank Butler
With Buddy Collette
- Nice Day with Buddy Collette (Contemporary, 1957)
With Sonny Criss
- Saturday Morning (Xanadu, 1975)
With The Doors
- Waiting for the Sun (Elektra, 1968)
With Barbara Dane & Earl Hines
- Livin' with the Blues (Dot, 1959)
With Kenny Dorham
- Inta Somethin' (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
With Kenny Drew
- Talkin' & Walkin' (Jazz: West, 1955)
- Home Is Where the Soul Is (Xanadu, 1978)
- For Sure! (Xanadu, 1978)
With Teddy Edwards
- Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair (MetroJazz, 1958)
- It's About Time (Pacific Jazz, 1959)
- Sunset Eyes (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
- Teddy's Ready! (Contemporary, 1960)
- Good Gravy! (Contemporary, 1961)
- Heart & Soul (Contemporary, 1962)
- Young at Heart (Storyvill, 1979) with Howard McGhee
- Wise in Time (Storyville, 1979) with Howard McGhee
- Mississippi Lad (Verve/Gitanes, 1991)
With Victor Feldman
- Vic Feldman on Vibes (Mode, 1957)
With Red Garland
- Keystones! (Xanadu, 1977)
With Stan Getz
- West Coast Jazz (Norgran, 1955)
- Stan Getz and the Cool Sounds (Verve, 1953–55, [1957])
- The Steamer (Verve, 1956)
With Eddie Harris and Les McCann
- Swiss Movement (Atlantic, 1969)
With Hampton Hawes
- The Sermon (Contemporary, 1958 [1987])
- Something Special (Contemporary, 1976 [1994])
With Elmo Hope
- The Elmo Hope Quintet featuring Harold Land (Pacific Jazz, 1957)
With The Jazz Crusaders
- Live at the Lighthouse '66 (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Talk That Talk (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
With Fred Katz
- Fred Katz and his Jammers (Decca, 1959)
With Barney Kessel
- Let's Cook! (Contemporary, 1957 [1962])
With Eric Kloss
- First Class Kloss! (Prestige, 1967)
With Harold Land
- Harold in the Land of Jazz (Contemporary, 1958)
With Gordon Lee
- On the Shoulders of Giants (Unity Label Group, 1994)
With Shelly Manne
- Concerto for Clarinet & Combo (Contemporary, 1955 [1957])
- Swinging Sounds (Contemporary, 1956)
- More Swinging Sounds (Contemporary, 1956)
- Shelly Manne & His Friends (Contemporary, 1956)
- My Fair Lady (Contemporary, 1956)
With Les McCann
- Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Truth (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
- Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Shout (Pacific Jazz, 1960)
- From the Top of the Barrel (Pacific Jazz, 1960 [1967])
- On Time (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
- Les McCann Plays the Hits (Limelight, 1966)
- Bucket O' Grease (Limelight, 1967)
- Much Les (Atlantic, 1968)
- Fish This Week (United Artists, 1973)
With Howard McGhee
- Maggie's Back in Town!! (Contemporary, 1961)
- Young at Heart (Storyville, 1979) with Teddy Edwards
- Wise in Time (Storyville, 1979) with Teddy Edwards
With Frank Morgan
- Frank Morgan (Gene Norman Presents, 1955)
With Van Morrison
- Saint Dominic's Preview (Warner Bros., 1972)
With Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster
- Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (Verve, 1959)
With Phineas Newborn, Jr.
- The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. (Contemporary, 1963)
- The Newborn Touch (Contemporary, 1964)
With Art Pepper
- The Return of Art Pepper (Jazz: West, 1956)
With Carl Perkins
- Introducing Carl Perkins (Dootone, 1956)
With Randy Porter
With Sonny Rollins
- Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders (Contemporary, 1958)
With Shorty Rogers
- Martians Come Back! (Atlantic, 1955)
- Way Up There (Atlantic, 1955 [1957])
With Jimmy Smith
- Bluesmith (Verve, 1972)
With Sonny Stitt
- Sonny Stitt Blows the Blues (Verve, 1959)
- Saxophone Supremacy (Verve, 1959)
- Sonny Stitt Swings the Most (Verve, 1959)
With Cedar Walton
- Cedar! (Prestige, 1967)
With Jessica Williams
- Encounters (Jazz Focus, 1994)
- Encounters II (Jazz Focus, 1997)
With Don Wilkerson
- The Texas Twister (Riverside, 1960)
With Gerald Wilson
- Portraits (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
With Jack Wilson
- The Two Sides of Jack Wilson (Atlantic, 1964)
References[edit]
- ^ abYanow, Scott. 'Blue Serge: Review'. allmusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
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