COFFEE, GERALD LEONARD "JERRY"
Name: Gerald Leonard "Jerry" Coffee
Rank/Branch: O3/US Navy
Unit: Reconnaissance Squadron 13, USS KITTY HAWK
Date of Birth: 02 June 1934 (Modesto CA)
Home City of Record: Los Angeles CA
Date of Loss: 03 February 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 191158N 1054458E (WG788229)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: RA5C
Missions: 12
Other Personnel In Incident: Robert T. Hanson (missing/remains returned 1988)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1990 with the assistance of
one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK March 1997.
REMARKS: 730212 RELSD BY DRV
SYNOPSIS: Lt. Gerald L. Coffee was the pilot of an RA5C Vigilante
reconnaissance aircraft assigned to Reconnaissance Squadron 13 on board the
USS KITTY HAWK (CVA 63). On February 3, 1966, he and navigator Lt. Robert T.
Hanson were on an intelligence gathering mission against a heavily defended
portion of North Vietnam. Their aircraft was hit by enemy fire and was
observed to explode and hit the water near the coast of North Vietnam east
of Nghe An Province. No parachutes were seen, however an emergency survival
radio beeper was heard.
Both Coffee and Hanson successfully ejected and parachuted into the gulf.
Several vessels were put out from the shore to capture the crewmen. Coffee
was recovered by militiamen in one of the boats, and was held prisoner until
his release in 1973. He stated that he had seen his navigator (Hanson)
alive in the water about 12 meters away and thought that he had been picked
up in one of the other boats. Lt. Coffee also reported that, shortly after
his capture, a guard indicated by gestures that Lt. Hanson was dead and had
been buried on the beach. Coffee was shown his identification card.
An article in the February 1, 1973 Quan Doi Nhan Dan (a daily Vietnamese
paper), in describing the February 3, 1966 shootdown, stated that, "The
militia ...managed to bring the two enemy pilots to shore." Hanson and
Coffee's plane was the only aircraft lost within 45 miles of the Gulf of
Tonkin that day.
Intelligence reports surfacing over the years during the war and following
build a strong case for a well-organized second prison system, and a well
orchestrated plan to keep prisoners within systems from intermingling. As it
is widely believed that the Vietnamese withheld the release of many
prisoners until peace agreement terms were met (specifically reconstruction
aid), it is logical to assume that one prison system's inmates were released
while another were held back for possible release at a later date. It is
also logical to assume that the scenario might be played to its fullest,
including convincing each man in a two man crew that had been separated,
that the other was dead.
Whether Robert Hanson survived to be captured is not known. Experts now
believe, based on thousands of reports received, that hundreds of Americans
are still held prisoner in Southeast Asia. Robert Hanson could be one of
them. He deserves much better than the abandonment he has received by the
country he proudly served.
On November 3, 1988, the Vietnamese, who had previously denied knowledge of
Lt. Hanson, "discovered" and returned his remains to U.S. control. When and
how he died only the Vietnamese can say.
Commander Coffee's last duty station was Commander, Pacific Fleet, Pearl
Harbor Hawaii before he retired.
SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).
UPDATE - 09/95 by the P.O.W. NETWORK, Skidmore, MO
GERALD L. COFFEE
Commander - United States Navy
Shot-Down: February 3, 1966
Released: February 12, 1973
After graduating from UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) with a
degree in Advertising Art I entered the Navy and pre-flight in the fall of
1957. I received my wings in August 1959. I flew photo Crusaders (RF-8As) out
of Cecil Field, Florida, during which time I deployed twice on the USS
Saratoga. In the fall of 1962 I flew reconnaissance flights over Cuba. From
1963 to 1966 I was an instructor in the Vigilante RA-5C training squadron in
Sanford, Florida. In February 1966, while flying a Vigilante from the USS
Kitty Hawk, I was shot down and captured in North Vietnam.
In the fall of 1957 I was married to my wife, Bea, after she graduated from
San Jose State University. Bea is from Modesto, California. Our children are
Kimberly, 14; Steve, 12; Dave, 11; and Jerry, 7. Of course I had never met
Jerry until after my release. The by-word for my future is simply-more
education; first in some general areas and then specifically in Political
Science or International Relations
Many people have said that by our own words and deeds upon our return we
have "turned this country around" or "restored pride in America" or "brought
forth new hope for our nation's future." If this is true, then we who have
seen America from a very unique vantage point and have endured with the
faith of our fathers, must prepare ourselves well; prepare ourselves to
fulfill whatever hopes and expectations that may now be placed upon us.
God has blessed America, but only for so long as America endures. That is
the part that is up to us - all Americans.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Cdr. Coffee illustrated fellow POW Captain Howard Rutledge's
book: IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES published by the Fleming H. Revell
Company.
November 1996
Gerald Coffee retired from the United States Navy as a Commander. He and his
wife Susan reside in Hawaii.
Use your Browser's BACK function to return to the PREVIOUS page