Kenneth Leon Coskey (1929 - 2013)

Captain Ken Coskey was a Prisoner of War for 1651 days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Captain Ken Coskey served in the United States Navy in the Vietnam War
Service started: 1951
Unit(s): VA-85;VA-86, USS America (CVA-66)
Service ended: 1982

Birth

Capt. Kenneth Leon Coskey was born on 26 December 1929 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States to Edward Paul Coskey (1901-1983) and Bertha Lee Graf (1901-1984).

Siblings

1. Shirley Ellen Coskey was born on 6 November 1922 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States. She married Philip Edgar Culbertson on 19 August 1950 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. Shirley died on 18 November 2002 in Cocoa Beach, Brevard, Florida, United States.
2. Ralph Edward Coskey was born on 7 April 1926 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States. He married Joyce Elaine Bratton (1926-1996) on 6 September 1946 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Ralph died on 2 February 2007 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan, United States.

Education

He attended the United States Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California in 1958 from January to October. He returned and received a Bachelor's degree in 1965. After he returned from incarceration, he attended George Washington University. In May 1975 he had completed his M.B.A. degree.

Marriages

He married twice.

1. Donna Powell Harris (1932-1985) on 18 December 1954 in San Diego County, California. She died of breast cancer.
2. Rosemary Backus Spitzen (living)

Military Service

Ken enlisted in the United States Navy through the Naval Aviation Cadet Program at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in November 1951. By July 1953 he had been designated a Naval Aviator and was commissioned on 13 May 1953 as an Ensign.

His first assignment as a pilot was with VS-21 in Coronado, California where he stayed until December 1954. Then he served as an instructor pilot at NAAS Whiting Field in Florida until December 1957.

He transitioned into the A-3 Skywarrior and was flying off the USS Independence (CVA-62) from May 1959 until October 1962. After his additional schooling, he was assigned to the Navy Bureau of Personnel at the Pentagon from July 1965 to June 1967.

From July to December 1967, he trained to fly the A-6 Intruder and then flew at the rank of Commander and served as the Executive Officer with VA-85 on the USS America (CVA-66). He was the Commanding Officer of VA-85, an attack squadron, when he was forced to eject over North Vietnam after a direct hit from anti-aircraft artillery. There was an attempted rescue by helicopter, but it was unsuccessful and his fate was unknown and declared Missing in Action until 31 October 1968.

He was a Prisoner of War from 6 September 1968 until 14 March 1973, when he was released in Operation Homecoming. ^{[1] [2]}

He was flown out on C-141 Tail number 67944 from Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi, North Vietnam at 1515 hours and arrived at Clark Air Base, Philippines at 1811 hours.

He was hospitalized from April to October 1973 to recover from his injuries. He spent the next two years earning his advanced degree before returning to active service.

After returning and further education, Ken became the Department of Defense Liaison to the United States House of Representatives Select Committee of Missing Persons in Southeast Asia until 1976. From 1976 to 1979, he was the commanding officer of the Navy ROTC unit at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Captain Coskey's final assignment before retiring was as the Deputy Director of the Naval Historical Center in Washington.

Military Honors

His Third Bronze Star Citation:

For meritorious service as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from January 1971 to September 1972. Through his ceaseless efforts, in an atmosphere of enemy harassment, threat of torture and brutal treatment, he established and maintained intracamp communications. At great risk and in spite of further cruelty, he continued to devise many unusual and ingenious methods in communications, resulting in American and Allied prisoners resisting the enemy's demands and at the same time improving the prisoners morale. By his heroic endeavors, exceptional skill, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces. The Combat Distinguishing Device is authorized.

1. Legion of Merit
2. 3 Bronze Stars with V Device
3. 2 Purple Hearts
4. 2 Air Medals
5. Navy Commendation Medal with V Device
6. Navy Combat Action Ribbon

The full ribbon set available here.

Retirement from the United States Navy and Later Life

Ken retired on 1 October 1982. He had served his country for 31 years.

In 1988, he became the Executive Director of the Naval Historical Foundation which is based at the Washington Navy Yard in the District of Columbia. The stated mission of this organization is to preserve and honor the legacy of those who came before and educate and inspire the generations who will follow. ^[3]

Death and Burial

Capt. Coskey died on 29 June 2013 in an assisted living facility in McLean, Fairfax, Virginia, United States at the age of 83. He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was buried on 12 September 2013 in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia. Find A Grave: Memorial #116998835

Sources

• Veteran Tributes [1]
• NAMPOW List
• Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962-3/22/1979 [Archival Database]; Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam Conflict, 1/20/1967-12/1998; Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. Commander when shot down in North Vietnam.
• 1940 United States Federal Census on 10 April in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Family 163 residing at 14531 Woodmont. ^[4]
• Commonwealth of Virginia Certificate of Death for Donna Powell Harris Coskey.

Footnotes

1. ↑ NAM POW list
2. ↑ Combat Casualties
3. ↑ http://www.navyhistory.org/about/
4. ↑ 1940: Coskey, Edward P. 39, 4 years high school, b. Michigan, auto manufacturer's tool engineer, head; Bertha 39, 8th grade, b. Kentucky, wife; Shirley 17, 3 years high school, b. Michigan, daughter; Ralph 14, 8th grade, b. Michigan, son; Kenneth 10, 4th grade, b. Michigan, son.

Acknowledgements