Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1943 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM KELLET COKER

Don Juan is still looking for new lands to conquer and right alongside of him we find Kel. Everyone will agree that he definitely was not a “red mike,” for many pleasant summer afternoons found him and his drag enjoying a cozy sail on the good old Severn, or over at the informal swaying to Lt. Sima’s music. Three years of engineering at Texas Tech proved to be no handicap to Kel, who has never had to worry about the academics. His easy-going ways show that he knows how to enjoy life and never lose any sleep, but nevertheless, he was still a pretty good utility player to have on most any athletic team.

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The Class of 1943 was graduated in June 1942 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

William was lost on October 2, 1958 when the A3D Skywarrior he was piloting “exploded shortly after takeoff” and crashed into a swamp 25 miles south of NAS Jacksonville, Florida.

The copilot was also lost. They were both members of Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH) 1.

Other Information

From the Class of 1943 anniversary book “25 years later…”:

Kel was born on 30 January 1920 in Athens, Texas He was appointed from Texas and entered the Academy on 30 June 1939. After graduation he reported to the destroyer USS ELLET which was soon in combat action. As a result of Kel’s assistance in rescuing the survivors from the sunken cruiser USS QUINCY on 9 August 1942 he received 2 personal commendation from Admiral Halsey. Later he served in the destroyers USS KIDD and MADISON. After extensive combat action he left destroyers in May 1946 for flight training which was conducted at Dallas and Corpus Christi, Texas, and Pensacola and Jacksonville, Florida, His first operational flight duty was with Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED NINETY-TWO followed by duty at the NROTC Unit at the University of Texas, Observation Squadron THREE and instruction at the Command and Staff Course, Naval War College, Newport. Duty in the Office of Naval Operations in June 1955 was followed by duty with Heavy Attack Squadron ONE. It was while flying in this squadron that Kel was killed in an aircraft accident near Mayport, Florida. Kel’s awards include: Letter of Commendation with Commendation Ribbon; American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp); American Campaign Medal; European African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (1 bronze star); Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1 silver and 2 bronze stars); World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal; China Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; United Nations Service Medal. He was survived by his wife Nora Reids and their daughter Karen Marie. At Kel’s death his wife’s address was 5428 Fulton Street, San Francisco, California.

From the December 1958 issue of Shipmate:

Notice has been received of the death of WILLIAM K. COKER, Cdr. USN, due to an aircraft accident near Mayport, Fla., on 2 October 1958.

He is survived by his widow, Nora Reid Coker, 5428 Fulton St., San Francisco, Calif., a daughter, Karen Marie, and his mother, Mattie Dennis Coker of Athens, Texas.

He has a memory marker in Texas.

Photographs

Picture from November 19 issue of Athens Messenger (Ohio). Source

Memorial Hall Error

William is not listed with his classmates. This omission was discovered by reviewing Shipmate magazine.