In Recognition of Veterans Day - Coffee with Vets [Image 7 of 25]

BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES

09.04.2019

Photo by Thomas Alvarez 

Idaho Army National Guard

James Coy, 89, U.S. Marine Corps, 1948 - 52.

Eighteen-year-old James Coy joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1948, like many young men of that time, to avoid being forced into the Army through the draft. In the Marine Reserves he was trained as an artilleryman. He had a life plan and was working toward his goals.

Two years into Coy’s enlistment, North Korea invaded South Korea. His reserve unit was called to active duty and sent to Japan. The Marine Corps fundamental creed is every Marine is a rifleman. Coy was issued a rifle and became an infantryman, then sent to the Korean front.

When the Chinese entered the Korean War, they surprised American forces at the Chosin Reservoir in November 1950. It began one of the most brutal engagements noted in American military history.

Chinese forces encircled the American Army and Marine forces. American troops had to fight their way out. They were outnumbered and ill prepared for the harsh terrain and winter weather that enveloped them. Temperatures dropped as low as -36. Severe cold and frostbite became as deadly as the Chinese forces. James Coy was one of those Marines fighting back the Chinese onslaught.

At Chosin his squad was facing sporadic enemy fire all around them. Coy said he was standing among other Marines, looking over the terrain for a spot to shoot from. He was suddenly hit in the chest by a round, close to his heart. He was thrown off his feet and onto his back. He laid there looking up at the sky, “waiting for everything to go dark,” he said.
He waited to die, mad at himself for getting killed standing out in the open. He was afraid to look at the wound. He could hear members of his squad moving away.

After some time, his hands drifted to his chest where he thought he had been shot. There was no blood. While still laying on his back he craned his neck to look at his chest he saw shredded metal fragments on his chest and single bullets scattered around him on the ground.

In preparation for the day’s fighting to come, Coy had slung two bandoliers of ammunition across his chest in a crisscross fashion. It was at the crossing of the two ammunition belts that he was hit. The deadly round was evidently deflected by the ammunition belts across his chest. The round had broken the metal clips holding his ammunition and scattered the bullets all around him. He gathered his wits, slowly pulled himself together, and moved out to catch up with his squad. Coy soon found them crouched into a drainage ditch alongside a narrow road. They were ordered to move out and slowly worked their way up the road until they reached a snow berm.

Coy said he began crawling up the snow berm. As he reached the crest, he took another round to his head that miraculously ricocheted off his helmet.

Within a 45-minute time span, 20-year old James Coy had been struck twice by bullets that would have immediately killed him if not for his equipment or luck.

Coy acknowledges perhaps luck played a part, but with a dismissive wave of his hand he credits his survival to one thing.

“My mother’s prayers,” he said.

• Date Taken: 09.04.2019
• Date Posted: 11.08.2019 10:29
• Photo ID: 5897814
• VIRIN: 191101-Z-XK920-0007
• Resolution: 2700x1800
• Size: 2.27 MB
• Location: BOISE, ID, US