NorwichDad
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2010
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I had the priviledge last night of listening to a speech by George Coker who was honored at the high school in Newark, NJ we both attended. He is also a family friend. He graduated 20 years before me. The school has an association with The Naval Academy and there were 20 midshipmen present. I offered my condolences to them for the young man lost in the train crash the other night. Some knew him real well.
George was a Navy LT JG on his 55th bombimg mission in 1966 when he was shot down over North Vietnam. He spent 6.5 years in captivity in North Vietnam. There were a bunch of his classmates present. He spoke about his treatment at the hands of his brutal captors. He talked about never quitting. He would always get up even though he knew he would quickly be knocked to the ground again. He said as this happened he would think back to his high school days and the football coach saying get up and back to the line. He would hear the school wrestling coach saying get up. He called out his classmates there last night and said he had heard their encouragement all the time he was held captive. He said the school may honor him but he was trying to honor them. He thanked them all for being with him when he needed it the most. It was the reason he never quit.
Never Quit. It was a wonderful lesson for the midshipmen and the challenges they may face. It was also inspiration for the current students at the high school trying to advance themselves as they witness daily the gunfire and tragedy of one of the nation's most dangerous cities.
In 1973 upon their release, A fellow POW, Commander 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."
George was a Navy LT JG on his 55th bombimg mission in 1966 when he was shot down over North Vietnam. He spent 6.5 years in captivity in North Vietnam. There were a bunch of his classmates present. He spoke about his treatment at the hands of his brutal captors. He talked about never quitting. He would always get up even though he knew he would quickly be knocked to the ground again. He said as this happened he would think back to his high school days and the football coach saying get up and back to the line. He would hear the school wrestling coach saying get up. He called out his classmates there last night and said he had heard their encouragement all the time he was held captive. He said the school may honor him but he was trying to honor them. He thanked them all for being with him when he needed it the most. It was the reason he never quit.
Never Quit. It was a wonderful lesson for the midshipmen and the challenges they may face. It was also inspiration for the current students at the high school trying to advance themselves as they witness daily the gunfire and tragedy of one of the nation's most dangerous cities.
In 1973 upon their release, A fellow POW, Commander 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."
