McKinney Vietnam Veteran receives long-overdue Purple Heart for 1971 shoot-down over Laos
Washington,
Jun 1, 2007 -
Today U.S. Congressman
Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) presented a long-overdue Purple Heart
to McKinney Vietnam
veteran, Alfredo “Al” Coy. Johnson presented the medal for wounds suffered in
combat, the Purple Heart, at a private ceremony before close family and friends
in the Congressman’s Texas District Office in Richardson. Coy earned the medal in March
1971, but never received it.
“It’s an honor to
present this Purple Heart to an American war hero,” said Johnson. “For many
different reasons, folks came home from war and didn’t receive the medals that
they earned.”
Coy started his Army
career as an enlisted private first class. During his first tour in Vietnam, he worked as a crew chief in
a helicopter on a Huey. During Coy’s second tour in Vietnam, he worked as the pilot of a
Huey helicopter as an officer. In March 1971, the then-first lieutenant’s
helicopter endured enemy fire. Coy and his crew were shot down over hostile
territory in Laos.
Shortly after the shoot
down, a medical helicopter rescued the downed crew, including one seriously
injured crew member. While Coy rated a Purple Heart for the injuries sustained
during the March 1971 shoot-down, he never pinned on the medal. In addition to
earning a Purple Heart, Coy also received a Bronze Star.
After 20 years in the
United States Army, Coy retired a Captain. During his service in the United
States Army, Coy earned the National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam
Service Medal, an Air Medal, an Army Aviator Badge, and Aircraft Crewman Badge.
For the last 13 years,
Coy has as worked at the Environmental Protection Agency as a border
environmental issues coordinator. Originally from Riviera, Texas, Coy’s called the Metroplex home for the
last 20 years. He’s lived in McKinney for nearly four
years.
A 29-year Air Force
veteran, Johnson spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam, more than half of that time
in solitary confinement. “I sure am glad Al did not join me at the Prisoner of
War camp. He’s lucky to be alive and fortunate that a medical helicopter
rescued him so quickly,” continued Johnson. “It’s about time he received this
Purple Heart.”
To honor the service of
his troops, General George Washington chose a select few of his troops to
receive a small purple cloth Badge of Merit, the precursor to the Purple Heart
award.
According to the
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, it’s tough to guess the exact number of
recipients because no consistent record was kept since the award was established
in 1932. The Hall of Honor does estimate the number at 1.7 million. The award
was first retroactive to those who received "wound chevrons" and "certificates
of merit" during World War I and to those from earlier wars who chose to apply
for the award.
From 1942 on it was
limited to service men and women wounded or killed in combat against the enemy.
Records were sometimes lost during wartime when headquarters were overrun and
unfortunately many were lost during a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in
1973.
Johnson represents
portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
