Today’s Facebook edition includes my MidWeek column about the day I was released from Hoa Lo prison forty years ago today. That’s the north Vietnamese prison we called “The Hanoi Hilton”, just for the irony. In keeping with that irony, there is now an actual Hilton Hotel very near that site in Hanoi. And Hoa … Continue reading Today is the 40th Anniversary of my release from Vietnam – February 12th 2013 →

This coming February the 12th will mark a supremely happy occasion for me, the 40th anniversary of my release to freedom after seven years and nine days as a POW in communist North Vietnam. In the fall of 1972, Democrat Senator George McGovern was running for the Presidency against incumbent Republican Richard Nixon. From his … Continue reading Celebrating 40 Years as a Free Man →

Like many Oahu residents, I have visited the USS Missouri several times. And I never tire of seeing the big dent in the starboard side, deck level, a little aft of midship. I always imagine the scene of the Japanese kamikaze (divine wind) plane smashing into the ship in a fiery crash, and the casualties … Continue reading Skylar and The Mighty Mo’s Dent →

As many of you know, this October marked the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After half a century it’s still hard to forget John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev’s battle of power that nearly detonated a nuclear war. Suspicions began to arise of the Soviets secretly putting nuclear weapons in Cuba aimed at … Continue reading Cuban Missile Crisis →

Ottawa Hills, Ohio, is a beautiful little residential enclave on the edge of Toledo. With shady streets and manicured lawns providing the setting for a diverse collection of upscale homes forming a town large enough to support it’s own school district; Ottawa Hills Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools. OHHS is the alma mater of … Continue reading Honoring Fallen Heros →

The Vigilante, or “Vigi”, was a great airplane to fly aboard ship (or anywhere) because it felt solid; like “being on rails”. Because as the “recce” version of the A-5A (the original attack version) it was heavier but with the same engines, so it was a little under powered, and required closer attention to the … Continue reading The Vigilante – “A Smooth Ride” →

Captain Gerald Coffee and Coffee Enterprises are excited about the creation of our new blog, “Beyond Survival.” The purpose of this blog is broad. First, we want to help everyone understand the life of Jerry Coffee; from his remarkable story and unique history to his speaking career and more. While Beyond Survival the book provides … Continue reading A Message about the New Blog →