In Remembrance Of Coop

Uncle Phil

Uncle Phil

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Joined
Feb 26, 2007
Messages
10,952
Age
72
Location
In The Holler West Of Nashville, Tennessee
Bike
4 ST1100(s)
2024 Miles
030178
I went for a ride today and I knew it would be a little chilly.
So I pulled out one of my heated jackets from my gear closet.
As I put it on, I realized it was the one that Coop gave me after he had lost a bunch of weight.
He wouldn't take nothing for it - wouldn't even let me pay him for the postage.
And now I wouldn't take anything for it!
It's hard to believe he's been gone over 2 years.
What a great and funny feller and as a Marine, he was in one of the most fierce battles that occurred in Vietnam (@TPadden has the details).
I miss you my friend and may you rest in peace!


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Uncle Phil said:
What a great and funny feller and as a Marine, he was in one of the most fierce battles that occurred in Vietnam (@TPadden has the details).
I miss you my friend and may you rest in peace!.
Click to expand...

Battle of Foxtrot Ridge. 28 May 1968; Foxtrot Company, 2nd Bn, 3rd Marines, 88 Marines engaged an NVA Battalion of over 500 near Khe Sanh. When the fiercely fought battle was over the Marines had suffered over 60% casualties in a 9 hour battle: 13 men killed and 44 wounded, killing 230 NVA.

In the preface to his book Foxtrot Ridge by Mark Woodruff the author notes:
“For others, recounting what took place was clearly painful, and something they had never done before. Again, their eagerness to help me in my effort to chronicle the battle was inspiring. Billy Cooper, who, probably out of modesty, declined to be interviewed for this book, was enormously helpful in tracking down and locating former Marines who fought at Foxtrot Ridge”

Semper fi
Tom

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Another bit of Viet Nam "Foxtrot Ridge" Marine Corp history, from that small group of survivors, Coops' Platoon Commander, 1st Lt James L. Jones was awarded the Silver Star for his actions. He went on to become the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps. He invited those who had served with him in Foxtrot 2/3 as his special guests to the ceremony in 1999. Don't know if Coop attended.

Tom

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I miss my fairly frequent emails and phone calls with Coop, discussing . . . the Island Paradise of Lubbock, TX, where scantily clad beautiful women basked on the beaches every day since the weather was always perfect on the island!

Visited him and his wife a few times and they always had great pie.

RIP Coop.

Shuey
 
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