Ronald was a quiet, pleasant farm kid. He was active in Future Farmers of America.

Ronald Coker in his FFA jacket. [1965 Alliance High School annual]

He sat ahead of me in study hall one year when we were in high school.

I don’t remember much about him because he was a year ahead of me in school, but nothing about Ronald suggested to me his future path as a United States Marine in Vietnam.

Ronald’s senior photo:

Ronald Coker [1965 Alliance High School annual]

He had under four years to live.

Originally broadcast in advance of Memorial Day 2009, this KCSR (Chadron, NE) radio audio tells the story of Ronald Coker and how he earned the Congressional Medal of Honor:

When I was at boot camp in Fort Lewis, Washington, I remember the drill sergeant telling us “Don’t be a hero. A hero isn’t the guy who dies for his country, he’s the guy you make die for his country.”

Bullshit. History sometimes proves otherwise.

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