Captain Coffee | Reaffirming the Invinicibility of the Human Spirit

"At some time or another we all get shot down, are all POWs –

Prisoners of Woe. Be Tough."

GO BEYOND SURVIVAL.

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"There are Heroes Among us, Not The Least of Which is The Hero in Each of us."

BEYOND SURVIVAL: BUILDING ON THE HARD TIMES – A POW’S INSPIRING STORY

GERALD “JERRY” COFFEE IS A HIGHLY DECORATED U.S. NAVY CAPTAIN (RET.)

U. S. Navy (retired) Captain Gerald Coffee flew low-level reconnaissance missions over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which provided photographic proof of Soviet nuclear-tipped missiles, turning the tide of the dangerous Soviet – U.S. standoff. During the Vietnam War, Jerry was flying a combat mission off the USS Kittyhawk when he was shot down by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns. Immediately captured, he was held prisoner for over 7 years in the infamous ‘Hanoi Hilton’ communist prison where torture and solitary confinement were routine. His book, Beyond Survival, describes his experiences in gritty detail and his keynote talk has inspired thousands worldwide with a message of hope, faith, courage, and honor.

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September-09-2013 Ringing in a New Season

I love football. I don’t celebrate New Years on January first, I celebrate on August 15th or whatever August date the NFL schedules it’s first preseason practice games each year. That’s how I measure the passing of another year; out of the darkness into the light. I have always loved football. When I was a … Continue reading Ringing in a New Season →

August-21-2013 The First Navy Jack’s Significance

Two weeks ago I was privileged to attend the “Change of Command” ceremony whereby the command of all Pacific submarines “Commander Submarine Force US Pacific Fleet” (COMSUBPAC) transitioned from one Naval Officer to the next. All such Naval ceremonies are steeped in tradition, but this one–held on the deck of the submarine USS Jacksonville–in which … Continue reading The First Navy Jack’s Significance →

August-05-2013 A True American Patriot, Hero

As a kid’ I saw Gary Cooper in the movie, Sergeant York, the Tennessee sharpshooter of WWI fame. A Pacifist by nature, he became an unlikely hero when, nearly single-handedly, he took out several German machine gun nests and captured 132 German soldiers. According to the film, he picked off 17 of the gunners with … Continue reading A True American Patriot, Hero →

July-22-2013 Pilots Must Be Hands On

The worst thing a Navy carrier pilot can do is to land short of the landing area on the flight deck. When that happens the airplane either hits the deck where it curves down behind the ship (called the ramp), or it misses the flight deck altogether and hits the rear-most part of the ship … Continue reading Pilots Must Be Hands On →