Bio:C. C. 'Buck' Coffman

Lt. Col. Clovis Clyde "Buck" Coffman, Jr. was born in New Orleans in 1931. He graduated from Craddock High School in Portsmouth, Virginia with the class of 1950. The son of a Marine Colonel, he had already enlisted in the Marines in 1949, and fought in Korea with the 1st Marine Division, spending 35 months in combat. He was wounded four times in battles that included the Inchon landing and Chosin River campaign.

He spent 40 months in combat in Vietnam, first as a sergeant and later as a first lieutenant after being awarded a battlefield commission. He served with the 3rd Force Recon Company, was awarded a Silver Star (and recommended for a Medal of Honor) for saving 21 Recon Marines caught in an ambush, along with other awards (listed later). He also wrote the Marine manual on reconnaissance, "Reconnaissance Marine". During this time, he also taught reconnaissance skills to Korean "Blue Dragon" Marines, training them for service in Vietnam.

Mr. Coffman retired as a colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a decorated and distinguished veteran who earned a Navy Cross in 1966; three Silver Stars; five Bronze Stars with with combat "V" (for valor); Airmedal with "V"; and seven Purple Hearts (four in Korea and three in Vietnam).

Mr. Coffman retired to Virginia Beach, where he died in 2001. In 2003, Fort Story, a joint Army/Navy Amphibious training base, built a new Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance School training building. This building was named the "Coffman training school" in honor of Clovis C. ‘‘Buck’’ Coffman.

Col. Coffman's father served in World War II. His daughter, Sheri Lynn Coffman, served in the USCG, and owns and operates Stingray Investigations in Virginia Beach, VA. His son is a lawyer in Virginia.

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Famous Marines web site.

Virginian-Pilot obituary.

Virginian-Pilot, June 20, 2003, as transcribed by Free Republic.

Korean Viet Vets bulletin board.