After 40 years, a Vietnam vet gets his Bronze Star

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | May 31, 2009 | Louis Hansen

[csvset]

During the Vietnam war, Coop commanded the Kodiak, a rebuilt World War II supply ship that was attacked on Sept. 14, 1968.

Coop puts on his Vietnam War-era uniform. He learned of his Bronze Star commendation a few weeks ago through a phone call from his former commanding officer. (Hyunsoo Leo Kim | The Virginian-Pilot)

Vietnam War river patrol mascot Billyratt, Jr. sits on a guest futon at Sr. Chief Petty Officer Clarence Coop Cooper's home in Virginia Beach (Hyunsoo Leo Kim | The Virginian-Pilot)

[Slings and Arrows]

John Effing Kerry is not fit to lick this man’s *****.

[Squantos]

BTTT

[Tainan]

Bump

[EternalVigilance]

V-USA bump for an American hero! God bless and keep Sr. Chief Petty Officer Clarence "Coop: Cooper!

[csvset]

Nice of his shipmates to follow up and persevere for him.

[Squantos]

Indeed......brotherhood cast in fire.

Stay safe !

[Northern Yankee]

Outstanding article.

God Bless this hero.

Semper Fi!

[cbkaty]

Salute.....

[R. Scott]

Good to see this happen, better late than never.

I'm familiar with Vinh Long and stopped there a few times for an over night. It was quiet then. Everything changed during Tet 1968. We (Army LCU 1581) took a load of 155 mm self propelled howitzers to the area a few days after Tet broke out. We offloaded them and waited on the river for the next dawn. With sunrise we were asked if we could evacuate a medical mission from the Vinh Long seawall - of course we could. The German doctor and his wife jumped aboard with NVA in close pursuit. We took fire but no hits.
That was my last trip to that area. When we returned to Vung Tau the crew was flown up to take over another boat (LCU 1580) that had lost its crew working the Perfume River - Hue - and Cua Viet river - near the DMZ. I heard stories that many areas of the Delta stayed hot for months after Tet. Guess they were true.
For those not familiar with the small cargo boats that worked the rivers, we were slow, had no armor and were lightly armed. Gun shields were really just splash shields - thin soft steel. Stand up behind your gun and return fire. As noted in the story, even bulkheads offered no protection.

Vinh Long from the river

[ImpBill]

Thanks for posting. Always good news when one of our own gets recognition, even if it is long overdue.

[onedoug]

[AvOrdVet]

I went into HA(L)-4 in the late ‘80’s, we had a bunch of HA(L)-3’s HH1K Gunships... a few with the small patches that covered the many bullet holes, they always kept me thinking of the bubba’s that flew in them before me.

AOV

[river rat]

Great story.....

The “untold” story is that which would reveal the extent to which decorations for valor and heroism were distributed to ticket punching REMFs - usually officers of the various branches who never so much as got out of sight of the Saigon bars and whore houses or the Cam Ranh Bay nurses...

The practice led to a criminal cheapening of decorations given to men in the boonies who had to earn them “the hard way”.

I will reveal my natural but correct bias - by stating the Marine Corps seemed to have the best handle on preventing the practice of phony medal “gifting”.....

[R. Scott]

We supported the Americal (Burning Worm - 196th?) division for Operation Gallager in 1967. It was north of Quin Nhon.

[onedoug]

'Worked alot with the 196th west of Tam Ky/Danang, 68-69.

There's always been something about Vietnam...at least for me. Went back with my daughter in 2000, the country still bewitching.

Thanks for your service. Welcome Home!

[Squantos]

Yep decades long sore subject. Saw desk jockeys and nuthuggers that never left the confines of a air conditioned bunker in SEA, SWA, Saudi etc get bronze stars and then bitch about troops in the field getting a simple commendation medal ..........if there isn’t a “V” for valor on it , don’t even wear it around me.

My opinion........Stay safe !

[R. Scott]

It is a beautiful country. We’d sail up the coast and check out the beautiful beaches - miles and miles of pristine sand. Some of the rivers looked like good places to live.
I’d like to go back and visit someday.

[river rat]

"I’d like to go back and visit someday."

As you get closer to shore - you may have trouble drowning out the screams of those souls murdered by the Communist bastards running the place.....

[R. Scott]

I’ve often wondered about the friends I left behind - how many ended up in “reeducation” camps.