THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 26, 1996 TAG: 9603260002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
I endorse my friend, fellow naval officer and fellow prisoner of war George Coker, for election to the Virginia Beach School Board on May 7.
George Coker was shot down and imprisoned in Hanoi, North Vietnam, as a junior-grade Navy lieutenant in the summer of 1966. Within a year, he had established himself as a key member of the prison underground organizations, in which we were dedicated to leading organized American prisoner resistance.
By Oct. 25, 1967, the effectiveness of our organization led North Vietnamese authorities to exile totally, to the secure compound of their national military headquarters, the 112 most-effective resisters among the 267 American prisoners they then held. Most of the 11 were seniors, as such things go. I was a 44-year-old Navy captain. There were four senior commanders, and so on down. But youngest and junior by far was 24-year-old George Coker.
George was ahead of his time, in fearlessness, in planning, in thinking clearly under pressure and, most of all, in integrity, honesty and forthrightness in seeing the right things done rightly. He was awarded the Navy's highest medal, the Navy Cross.
George Coker is the same guy now. He has a moral sensitivity to improper pecuniary activities and the courage to blow the whistle. And at age 52, with more than two decades of pushing to see things done right in both the scholastic and athletic sides of education, for his children and others, George Coker is needed on your school board.
JAMES B. STOCKDALE
Vice admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.)
Stanford, Calif., March 14, 1996 by CNB