You were a 1963 graduate of CVHS. I didn't know that you were killed in Vietnam but heard about it from Karen Wolf. You lived fairly close to me on Riverlawn Avenue near Broadway.
I decided to research the incident that you were in. Found out that you joined the Navy in 1964 and trained to be a hospital corpsman flying in helicopters with the Marine Corp.
On that fateful day of 24 February 1967 you were part of a crew that was flying a medi-evac mission near Marble Mountain close to the city of Da Nang. Da Nang is in Thu Thien province and it is the same place that I was deployed to in late 1969. Your helicopter took hostile enemy fire and crashed. The pilot and all 4 crew members were killed in that crash.
I found out that your name appears on the Vietnam wall in Washington D.C. Your name also appears on the San Diego Peace Memorial in Balboa Park and the California Vietnam memorial in Sacramento. You were buried with honors at Fort Roscrans national cemetery in Plot T-0502 on March 3, 1967.
Interestingly, I also found out that your name was placed on a microchip in the Stardust spacecraft for NASA. Over 1 million names were placed on that spacecraft including all the men that died in Vietnam. The Stardust will be orbiting in space forever. Somewhere near East Palomar Street there is a street named after you. "Cooper Road" I think it is. I will check it out next time I am in Chula Vista.
Ed, you were awarded the Bronze Star with valor for your heroism that day. A grateful nation thanks you for your service. We will never forget that you and your crew made the ultimate sacrifice that day in a distant land on the otherside of the world. Welcome home brother. Your mission is complete and you may stand down. I salute you and may you rest in peace. We will honor your service to our country at our 50th reunion.
Ed, you were so very young brother. By His grace, may we all meet with you again, in His Kingdom…. All of these years, I didn’t know but for Alan’s compelling compilation of how you honored those who you left behind by virtue of your terrible sacrifice. In all manner of memory and of grace, “Thank you Ed”; and thank you Alan for sharing, with the world at large, the last day of the remarkable man who was Edwin Cooper and allowing those of us who didn’t know of his nearly imperceptible and unrevealed sacrifice.
Ronnie Harris ~ Hilltop class of 63 ~ U.S. Army 63 ~ 66
Alan H. has said it all. Miss you man. Sorry to see how quickly your life ended. Those of us who went on after salute you for your service and sacrifice. Be at peace always.
Alan Hayashi
Edwin Earl Cooper (7 June 1945-21 February 1967)
U.S. Navy
Hospital Corpsman
Command: Marine Amphibious Force
1st Marine Air Wing
Marine Air Group 16
Squadron HHM 163
Ed,
You were a 1963 graduate of CVHS. I didn't know that you were killed in Vietnam but heard about it from Karen Wolf. You lived fairly close to me on Riverlawn Avenue near Broadway.
I decided to research the incident that you were in. Found out that you joined the Navy in 1964 and trained to be a hospital corpsman flying in helicopters with the Marine Corp.
On that fateful day of 24 February 1967 you were part of a crew that was flying a medi-evac mission near Marble Mountain close to the city of Da Nang. Da Nang is in Thu Thien province and it is the same place that I was deployed to in late 1969. Your helicopter took hostile enemy fire and crashed. The pilot and all 4 crew members were killed in that crash.
I found out that your name appears on the Vietnam wall in Washington D.C. Your name also appears on the San Diego Peace Memorial in Balboa Park and the California Vietnam memorial in Sacramento. You were buried with honors at Fort Roscrans national cemetery in Plot T-0502 on March 3, 1967.
Interestingly, I also found out that your name was placed on a microchip in the Stardust spacecraft for NASA. Over 1 million names were placed on that spacecraft including all the men that died in Vietnam. The Stardust will be orbiting in space forever. Somewhere near East Palomar Street there is a street named after you. "Cooper Road" I think it is. I will check it out next time I am in Chula Vista.
Ed, you were awarded the Bronze Star with valor for your heroism that day. A grateful nation thanks you for your service. We will never forget that you and your crew made the ultimate sacrifice that day in a distant land on the otherside of the world. Welcome home brother. Your mission is complete and you may stand down. I salute you and may you rest in peace. We will honor your service to our country at our 50th reunion.
Alan
Ronnie Harris
Ed, you were so very young brother. By His grace, may we all meet with you again, in His Kingdom…. All of these years, I didn’t know but for Alan’s compelling compilation of how you honored those who you left behind by virtue of your terrible sacrifice. In all manner of memory and of grace, “Thank you Ed”; and thank you Alan for sharing, with the world at large, the last day of the remarkable man who was Edwin Cooper and allowing those of us who didn’t know of his nearly imperceptible and unrevealed sacrifice.
Ronnie Harris ~ Hilltop class of 63 ~ U.S. Army 63 ~ 66
Terry Greenlee
Ed:
Alan H. has said it all. Miss you man. Sorry to see how quickly your life ended. Those of us who went on after salute you for your service and sacrifice. Be at peace always.