Courage Under Fire: Take Hill 800! On June 25, 1950, North Korea launched a massive invasion of South Korea, setting off a bitter, bloody war that would last more than three years and cost the lives of well over a million people, including nearly 50,000 Americans—eight Andover graduates among them. When the news broke on American radios that morning, Angus Deming ’44 had been having coffee with his close friend and Andover classmate Joe Reisler ‘44. They’d served together in Navy training and had roomed together at Yale, graduating in 1948 with BA degrees plus commissions as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps Reserve. Listening to the radio, Joe had an immediate and uncanny premonition: “I bet this means us,” he said. And so it did. Just three months later, Deming and Reisler found themselves on active duty and undergoing intensive training at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, VA, in preparation for being sent to Korea as replacements for Marines killed in weeks of heavy fighting there. That December, the 1st Marine Division suffered heavy casualties during fighting in bitter sub-zero weather at the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Back in Quantico, several hundred Marine Corps reservists trained together for seven weeks in the Fall of 1950, as the 1st Special Basic Class. Many of them were sent directly into combat in January and early February of 1951. Reisler flew to Korea. Deming crossed the Pacific aboard an old World War II troop ship. Most of the hastily trained reserve lieutenants were assigned to front line infantry units upon arrival in Korea and began taking casualties almost immediately. Ten members were killed in action in the first few weeks and months of 1951. Many were wounded. One would die 16 years later in Vietnam.
the strength and morale of even the most seasoned troops. Andover was there. During one assault along a ridgeline, Joe Reisler saw a Marine sitting beside the dusty trail, bleeding and in pain. It proved to be Burch Ault ’44, a good friend and classmate. Burch was also a lieutenant in the Marines but neither Deming nor Reisler knew that Ault was in Korea. On June 2, 1951, Deming’s battalion was clawing its way along treacherous ridgelines, against battle-hardened North Koreans. The order came down, “Take Hill 800!” It was a steep, massive slope defended by a well-concealed enemy. Deming had the assault platoon. Two air
strikes, an artillery barrage, mortar rounds, and close quarters fighting were required to win the day at the cost of 52 Marines dead or wounded. Deming would be awarded the Silver Star Medal for valor. Deming had a variety of assignments in Korea. When it came time for his rotation home, he was E Company’s machine gun platoon leader. He spent his last night on line huddled in the deepest foxhole he could find, then dodged sniper fire to get back to the rear. Weeks later he arrived at the military airport outside San Francisco, and with a small sack of belongings, thumbed a ride into the city. His war in Korea was over. —George Rider ’51
The Blue Guidon The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Fall/Winter 2016
Lt. Cmdr. Laurie Coffey ’95
Athlete, Fighter Pilot, Mom During 17 years of naval service, Lt. Cmdr. Laurie Coffey ’95 has learned to balance the sacred duties of family and service to country. Before her 1999 commissioning as an officer, Coffey (call sign “Mocha”) was a standout athlete at Andover and the U.S. Naval Academy. Excelling in basketball and rowing, she led both teams to New England championships in her upper year. Continuing each sport as an Academy Midshipman, Coffey stroked the varsity eight crew, qualifying for the U.S. National Rowing Team. She also led the women’s basketball team to a Patriot League title and its first-ever 30-win season. A ruptured Achilles tendon scuttled her Olympic basketball aspirations months before the 2000 games, but Coffey likes to say that if not for joining the Navy she’d have had an all-star WNBA career. As it turned out, Coffey earned her pilot wings in 2003 and became an F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot. Her first assignment included flying combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom off the deck of aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Coffey was awarded the Air Medal for her outstanding wartime performance and was featured in the PBS documentary series Carrier. She was subsequently tapped for flight instructor duty, teaching the next generation of Navy fighter pilots. Coffey also designed operational tests for the Navy’s newest fighters and weapons, and was handed the most demanding department head billets during deployment aboard the carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
In February 1951, Deming went ashore in Korea and was immediately assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. The following morning, the 1st Marine Division jumped off on the offensive with a quick succession of initial attacks, dubbed Operation Killer and Operation Ripper, which put the United Nations forces back on the offensive. For the better part of six months, UN troops fought their way north to the 38th parallel and beyond, only to be hurled back by two massive Chinese offensives, which UN forces blunted, mainly with American artillery. The unforgiving terrain was as much an obstacle as the enemy, sapping
But the progression of Coffey’s career has seen additional priorities come to the fore. She is the mother of 7-year-old Brooke and has learned to balance national service with raising her daughter. Coffey remarks, “The greatest challenge that I didn’t even think about when I joined at 18 was how to manage a family and have a job that is worldwide deployable.” Perpetually rising to the occasion, Coffey is successfully managing the responsibilities of both motherhood and naval service. 1st Lt. Angus Deming receives the Silver Star in Korea
Coffey is an advocate for strengthening the bond between our military and the citizens it serves. During the course of her career, she has seen the
Coffey in the cockpit of her F/A-18 Hornet
military’s growing dedication to helping veterans transition to civilian life. Coffey says the skills and work ethic of our servicemen and women are a great asset to any organization, and our nation will benefit as the civil and military communities increasingly interact. Coffey’s career has come full circle; she recently completed an assignment back at the Naval Academy as a mentor to future Navy and Marine Corps officers, deputy director of the sailing program, adjunct professor of ethics, and officer representative for the women’s basketball team. Coffey’s ambition is to continue serving for as long as she is able to occupy the challenging billets that allow her to give back to her country; she has a follow-on assignment coming up soon in Naples, Italy, with the U.S. 6th Fleet. — Lt. Livy Coe ’04, USNR