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Medal of Honor recipient Marine PFC Ronald L. Coker
Congressional Medal of Honor
Episode 2820 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature Marine PFC Ronald L. Coker and his Congressional Medal of Honor award. Information featured in this episode appeared in Wikipedia. Ronald Leroy Coker was born on August 9, 1947. He died on March 24, 1969. He was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in March 1969.
Coker was born in Alliance, Nebraska. He attended District 78 Rural Elementary School in Alliance, Alliance High School, and Denver Colorado Automotive School.
Drafted by the Selective Service Board in Alliance, he entered the United States Marine Corps at Denver, Colorado on April 16, 1968.
He completed recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, in June 1968; individual combat training with Company Z, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Pendleton, California, in July 1968; and basic infantry training with Rifle Training Company, Basic Infantry Training Battalion, 2d Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Pendleton, in August. He was promoted to private first class on September 1, 1968.
Private First Class Coker then joined a replacement company, Staging Battalion, at Camp Pendleton, for transfer to the Republic of Vietnam.
Upon his arrival in Vietnam, in November 1968, he was assigned duty as a rifleman with Company M, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. While serving in this capacity, he was killed in action in the northwest section of Quang Tri Province, on March 24, 1969.
His Medal of honor citation said that Private First Class Coker’s indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Listen to episode 2820 and discover more about Marine PFC Ronald L. Coker and his Congressional Medal of Honor award.
