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PLYMOUTH — Capt. Sean Christopher Sterling Coates, 26, recently became a captain in the United States Air Force.
As his grandmother, Janet Green Coates, 78 of Mountain Top, said, “Sean is our second Captain Coates in the family.”
The first Capt. Coates was Capt. Sterling Coates, U.S. Marine Corps, who was killed July 2, 1967, in Vietnam.
Coates is one of seven Plymouth natives killed in Vietnam whose names appear on The Wall That Heals, among the 58,276 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
The Wall That Heals will arrive in Luzerne County Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. It will be met by hundreds of motorcycle units, emergency vehicles and other police and fire units to escort The Wall to Plymouth where it will be staged through Sunday, Sept. 8 at Huber Field on the campus of Wyoming Valley West High School.
Mrs. Coates said it’s important, especially for young people, to have the opportunity to visit The Wall.
“The Wall offers everyone the opportunity to learn about those that have served our country and had been wounded or killed,” Mrs. Coates said. “They can learn more about them and how and where they served.”
Mrs. Coates said she is pleased that Clyde Peters spearheaded the effort to bring The Wall That Heals to Plymouth.
“It shows respect for our veterans who have served,” she said. “I hope people visit The Wall and pay their respect to the soldiers from our town, our county, our state and our country. I would hope that more young people would consider entering the military.”
Mrs. Coates said The Wall That Heals is not only to help the families, but for young people to know the history of our country and what it stands for —to understand the priorities of country, God and family.
Mrs. Coates grew up in Kingston and she met Sterling when she was just 15. Janet, now 78, said Sterling would be 81 today. He was 29 and the father of three children — two sons, David and Richard, and daughter Christina — when he was killed in Vietnam. Sterling never met Christina. She was born seven weeks premature.
“He knew he had a daughter and that she was OK after being born premature,” Mrs. Coates said. “But he never met her — never got to hold her in his arms.”
Mrs. Coates said she met Sterling at North Lake at a little store.
“We were playing the jukebox and having fun,” she said.
Sterling was sent to Vietnam seven times between 1964 and 1967, the last time he never returned. His first time in Vietnam began on March 5, 1964 — his father’s birthday . His last trip was in 1967 — when he was killed
Mrs. Coates said her husband told her this: “I’m doing this so my sons and other generations won’t have to.”
When his unit was ambushed, some 78 in Coates’ unit were killed.
Clyde Peters is ready
Clyde Peters, chairman of the event, said American flags and red, white and blue bows will give Plymouth’s Main Street a true all-American look.
“We’re ready,” Peters said. “It will be nice to have The Wall here to honor our veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”
Peters said he especially wants to recognize the families of the seven Plymouth natives who died in Vietnam:
• David Lee, Army, killed April 22, 1969. Lee was Peters’ nephew.
• Leonard Bish, Army, killed May 16, 1967.
• Sterling Coates, Marines, killed July 2, 1967.
• Frank Glowiak, Army, killed Oct. 27, 1966.
• Edison Phillips, Army, killed May 21, 1969.
• Joseph Sinkewicz, Marines, killed Feb. 26, 1968.
• Daniel Witko, Army, killed June 18, 1968.
“We offer our deepest sympathy to the families of those Plymouth residents who lost their lives in Vietnam,” Peters said. “We are bringing The Wall to Plymouth to honor those seven young men and to also honor all who died in Vietnam and in all wars.”
The Wall That Heals will be staged at Huber Stadium Sept. 5-8 and will be open 24 hours a day and free to the public.
“We just want people to come down and pay their respect to The Wall and to the brave men and women on it,” Peters said.
About Sterling Coates
Sterling Kitchener Coates was born on March 13, 1938.
Coates experienced a traumatic event which resulted in loss of life on July 2, 1967. Recorded circumstances attributed to: “Died through hostile action, small arms fire”. Incident location: Ambush on Route 561 NE of Con Thien, South Vietnam, Quang Tri province.
Sterling Kitchener Coates is buried or memorialized at West Pittston Cemetery, West Pittston, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Sterling is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 22e, Line 101.
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
Listed below are some of the awards, medals, citations and commendations that Sterling Kitchener Coates either received or may have been qualified for.
• Purple Heart
• Bronze Star — awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
• Combat Action Ribbon
• National Defense Service Medal
• Vietnam Campaign Medal
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Distinguished Unit Citation
• Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
• Good Conduct Medal
• Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
The Wall That Heals schedule
• Tuesday, Sept. 3
3 p.m. — Meet at Mohegan Sun Arena to escort The Wall That Heals to Plymouth. Motorcyclists and all participating emergency agencies will be lined up to begin procession at 4 p.m.
The route — Leaving from Mohegan Sun Arena, turn right onto Highland Park Blvd., turn right onto Mundy Street, turn left onto PA 309 (Kidder Street), continue straight onto Kidder Street, turn right onto Conyngham Avenue, turn left onto Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, turn right to Public Square, turn right on West Market Street, continue to Market Street Bridge, turn left on Route 11( Wyoming Avenue), continue to Plymouth Main Street, turn right onto Wadham Street to arrive at Huber Field/Wyoming Valley West High School.
5 p.m. — The Wall That Heals arrives in Plymouth.
• Wednesday, Sept. 4
8 a.m. — Set up of The Wall will begin. About 25-30 able-bodied volunteers are needed for six to eight hours.
6 p.m. — Volunteer training session; all volunteers are encouraged to attend . Training will last about an hour.
• Sept. 5-8
The Wall will be open each day — Sept. 5, 6, 7 — to the public for 24 hours until its break down on Sunday at 3 p.m. Volunteers will fill four-hour shifts each day. Student tours will be held between 8 a.m and 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 7
11 a.m. — The Wall That Heals Memorial Ceremony will be held.
• Sunday, Sept. 8
The Wall closes Sunday at 3 p.m. Break down of The Wall That Heals requires 25-30 able-bodied volunteers for five to six hours.
About The Wall That Heals
• The Wall That Heals exhibit features a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The replica is 375 feet in length and stands 7.5 feet high at its tallest point. Visitors experience The Wall rising above them as they walk towards the apex, a key feature of the design of The Wall in Washington.
• The names on The Wall That Heals are listed by day of casualty. Beginning at the center/apex, the names start on the East Wall (right-hand side) working their way out to the end of that wing, picking up again at the far end of the West Wall (left-hand side) and working their way back in to the center/apex, joining the beginning and end of the conflict at the center.
Mobile Education Center
• The 53-foot trailer that carries The Wall That Heals transforms to become a mobile Education Center. The exterior of the trailer features a timeline of “The War and The Wall” and provides additional information about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Additional exhibits give visitors a better understanding of the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the collection of items left at The Wall.
