My name is John J. Coppinger.
I was born August 1945 in Brooklyn, New York.
Mother was a housewife and my father was a New York City fireman with two other jobs. I have 4 brothers and 4 sisters. My brother Thomas did two tours in Nam with the U.S. Special Forces and Richard did one tour in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine.
I wanted to go Airborne and enlisted after high school with Special Forces. The early days of training was spent at Fort Dix for basic and AIT training, then on to Fort Benning for jump school. I received specialized training in light and heavy weapons and operation and intelligence. I served in Vietnam from January 1966 to May 1968. Our unit was a Mobile Guerilla Unit and was called upon for different operations. I am in the photo with the Cambodian Mercenary Troops. I had just stolen that jeep and we had finished putting our markings on it. I was securing an area where we hooked up an 8” shell to a radio, and if the VC found it and touched the dial, it would blow. Note the scarves in the photo. The red, white and blue scarves were given to us, so when extracted from a HOT LZ, the chopper pilots would not mistake us for NVA or VC. The Cambodians were paid about 30 Doccas US a month. If they got a good kill or turn in an enemy weapon, they would get a bonus. This was Tay Nint Operations Base. We had a camp outside at Trung Sup near Nuiba Den Mountain.
The worst part of my time in Nam was being depressed of having people you know and friends that were wounded or killed in action. The men that I served with will always be in my prayers. I consider them my brothers. But I did form friendships in my unit. We still keep in touch 47 years later, attend reunions and tell the biggest “lies.” I have been a member of the Special Forces Association for over 20 years and Special Operations Association for over 10 years. We go to reunions every two or three years all over the United States.
I had stayed in touch with my family through letters and when I returned home, the reception was great. But I was upset that I was going back to take a civilian contractor job in Vietnam. I met and married a Vietnamese woman and lived in Vietnam for ten years. This ultimately led to a divorce and my returning back to the states.
When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, I was back in the US living in Orlando, Florida. I was changed by my war experience by realizing that your life passes by you in the blink of an eye and to live it to the fullest and honor Jesus. I do not regret going though and am very proud to have served.
My only feeling about the protestors of that war is that they have to live with their decisions.
John J. Coppinger
US Army Special Operations
We are honored that John has shared his service and story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, where we are all connected.
It is a great privilege and honor to collect these stories from our veterans of all wars, none of whom reached out to me. I have found them to be a humble group of men and women. These stories are their stories.
~ Jenny Lasala
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