Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1961 Lucky Bag:

STERLING KITCHENER COATES

Coatsy — 17th Company

Coatsy arrived at “Canoe U.” from Plymouth, Pennsylvania, after a year of preparation at Wyoming Seminary. As usual he was holding his trumpet in one arm and a girl in the other. Plebe Year was a success for Coatsy as a member of the gym team, and he played for hops with the NA-IO. He also performed with the Masqueraders and the Antiphonal Choir. The academic departments lost many battles with him, but the Blue Dragon always won. The service will profit by having him as an officer and it will be a pleasure to serve with him in any capacity.

Loss

Sterling was killed in action on July 2, 1967 with Vietnamese forces. He was commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines.

Other Information

From Honor States:

Operation Buffalo (2–14 July 1967) was an operation of the Vietnam War that took place in the southern half of the Demilitarized Zone, around Con Thien.

On the morning of 2 July, Alpha and Bravo Companies, 1st Battalion 9th Marines made their way up north on Highway 561 and secured a crossroad as their first objective.

As they went further north between Gia Binh and An Kha, near a place called “The Market Place”, they made contact with the elements of the NVA 90th Regiment when sniper fire began to break out, enemy fire intensified as efforts were made by the 3rd Platoon to suppress it.

The NVA used flamethrowers in combat for the first time setting fire to hedgerows along Highway 561 forcing the Marines out into the open, exposing them to artillery, mortar and small arms fire, causing heavy casualties on A and B Companies and prevented them from linking up. B Company Headquarters was wiped out when a single NVA artillery round exploded within the command group. The company commander, Capt. Sterling K. Coates, two platoon leaders, the radio operator, forward observer and several others were killed.

“U.S. Marines In Vietnam: Fighting The North Vietnamese, 1967” by Maj. Gary L. Telfer, Lt.-Col. Lane Rogers, and Dr. V. Keith Fleming Jr. has much more detail on the tactical situation and Sterling’s command.

July 2, 1967 was the worst single-day loss of men for the Marines in Vietnam.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Sterling was a cub scout in 1948 and became an Eagle Scout in March, 1956. He was a member of American Legion Troop 257. He was a member of the Order of the Arrow, Lodge 223, and served as chief of District 2. He participated in three Appalachian trail hikes covering about 200 miles.

Sterling graduated from Plymouth High School in 1956. He was a trumpet soloist in the band and orchestra, was a member of the chorus, Hi-Y, and editor-in-chief of the yearbook. He was a member of the Naval Reserve, Division 4-58.

In October, he was a Naval Reserve fireman who participated in an Open House for Division 58, Battalion 18.

He received an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island, through Congressman Daniel J. Flood. He also had NRTO scholarships at Penn State in 1956 and 1957.

Sterling participated in a “College Day” program on December 22, 1959, at Plymouth High School.

He married Janet Christina Green of Kingston in June, 1961.

After graduating from the Naval Academy, he reported to the U. S. Marine Corps School in Quantico. In March, 1962, he reported to Camp Pendleton as an Infantry officer with the First Marine Division. In November, he was with the Marine Expeditionary Force in the Caribbean.

In October, 1964, he was on duty with the Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in Hawaii.

Above his Wyoming Prep photo, it said “Hopes to attend Naval Academy.”

He is buried in Pennsylvania.

Photographs

From the 1957 Wyoming Prep yearbook

From the Wilkes Barre Times Leader the Evening News on October 23, 1956

From his 1956 high school yearbook

From his 1956 high school yearbook

From his 1956 high school yearbook

From the 1957 Wyoming Prep yearbook

Remembrances

From Wall of Faces:

I served under Captain Coates at CGFMFPac in 1967. He was considered one of the finest young officers in the command. LtGen Victor Krulak had so much respect for this man he participated in a special memorial service for Capt. Coates at HQ FMFPac shortly after his death. His death was a great loss for the Corps and America. WILLARD YODER, FORMER SGT. USMC, 3/10/02

From Con Thien: The Hill of Angels by James P. Coan:

Bravo Company had a new skipper. Capt. Sterling K. Coates was a 1961 graduate of the Naval Academy. He came to 1/9 in June as the new S-3A, where he learned the ropes under the current S-3, Captain Curd, recipient of two Silver Star Medals in the March 5 and March 24 battles at Phu An. After two weeks the the S-3A, Coates took command of B/1/9. He was generally regarded as a levelheaded, dedicated officer of Marines, well respected by his peers. All he needed was some combat seasoning.

Sgt. Richard Huff, mortar section leader, recalled that Captain Coates “was all up and down that line, shooting his .45. He told me to get my mortars firing. Then he ran back up front and that was the last I saw of him alive.

Related Articles

John Doherty ‘66 was assigned to B Company as a forward artillery observer; he was killed at the same time as Sterling.