Harvey Carrol Copeland Jr. (1931 - 2012)

Colonel HC Copeland Jr. was a Prisoner of War for 2068 days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Colonel HC Copeland Jr. served in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War
Service started: 1953
Unit(s): 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
Service ended: 1979

Birth

Colonel Harvey Carrol Copeland, known as HC, was born on 13 February 1931 in Brady, McCulloch, Texas, United States to Harvey Carroll Copeland (1897-1974) and Laura Estelle Brown (1903-1992). ^{[1] [2]}

Sibling

1. Nila Mae Copeland was born on 8 October 1929 in McCulloch, Texas, United States. Nila died on 16 May 1987 in Plainview, Hale, Texas, United States unmarried.

Education

HC attended Texas Technological College in Lubbock, Texas. He was a Graduating Senior in 1951 and part of the Recruit Officer Training Corps.

Military Service

He was commissioned on 30 April 1953 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force through his college ROTC program. Active duty began for HC on 31 July 1953. He entered Pilot Training in April 1955 after first completing Intelligence Officer Training School and serving as an Intelligence Officer.

In April 1956 at Webb Air Force Base in Texas, he received his pilot wings. From there he completed F-86 Sabre Combat Crew Training in November 1956 which prepared him for the next phase of service as an F-86 pilot with the 354th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at McGhee Tyson Airport, Tennessee from December 1956 to December 1957.

He went to the 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Snow Mountain Air Force Station (AFS), Fort Knox, Kentucky until May 1959. HC was assigned to the 710th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at Tin City, Alaska from May 1959 until May 1960 and to the 92nd Support Squadron of the 92nd Bomb Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington from June 1960 to September 1964. From there Major Copeland was assigned to a position of instructor pilot with the 4457th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona until September 1966. He completed F-105 Thunderchief Combat Crew Training and then served with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing in Thailand at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base from March 1967 until he was forced to eject from the F-105 when flying the lead with a four ship flight which was to attack a heavily defended railroad yard over North Vietnam on 17 July 1967. He was taken as a Prisoner of War on that date. There is available a quickly accessible timeline to be seen here at the Together we Served web page for Colonel Copeland [1]

Prisoner of War from 17 July 1967 to 14 March 1973. ^[3]

He was imprisoned mostly in the Hanoi Hilton until he was released during Operation Homecoming on 14 March 1973.

He was flown out on C-141 Tail number 70007 from Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi, North Vietnam at 1430 hours and arrived at Clark Air Base, Philippines at 1715 hours.

Lieutenant Colonel Copeland returned home in 1973 and on 18 March 1973 was briefly hospitalized for injuries and a medical check up at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was next assigned to serve on the Staff of Headquarters with the 12th Air Force at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas until his retirement on in 1979. ^[4]

Military Honors

His 1st (of 3) Silver Star Citation:

Major H.C. Copeland distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-105 Pilot over North Vietnam on 17 July 1967. On that date, Major Copeland was element lead in a four ship flight directed to attack a railroad yard in the most heavily defended area in Southeast Asia. Major Copeland flew through intense and accurate tracking and predicted barrage flak to roll in on and attack one of the six firing flak sites in his immediate area. In spite of the barrages exploding only feet from his aircraft, Major Copeland, unhesitatingly and with great risk to his life, continued his run. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Major Copeland has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

1. Silver Star Medal with 2 Bronze Clusters.
2. Legion of Merit.
3. Distinguished Flying Cross with V Device.
4. Bronze Star Medal with V Device and 2 Bronze Clusters.
5. Purple Heart with 2 Bronze Clusters.
6. Air Medal with 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Cluster.

The full ribbon set is here.

Retirement

On 1 August 1979, Colonel Copeland retired from the United States Air Force after 26 years of service to his country. ^[5]

Marriage

He married Lenora Unknown c. 1959. They had children who are living.

Death and Burial

Colonel Copeland died in his sleep on 12 June 2012 in Round Rock, Travis, Texas, United States at the age of 81. He was buried on 16 June at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens, San Angelo, Tom Green, Texas. There is no Find A Grave Memorial for him at this time.^[6]

HC's son Glenn made this comment: ...he ejected one last time into the heavens and is now part of the Lord's squadron.

Sources

• Texas Birth Certificates for HC Copeland Jr. to Laura Estelle Brown and Harvey Carroll Copeland on 13 Feb 1931 at Brady, McCulloch, Texas.
• Texas Birth Index.
• 1940 United States Federal Census on 6 April in Brady, McCulloch, Texas. Page 61A, lines 1-4. Residence at Oak. ^[7]
• 1951 Yearbook from Texas Technological College, Lubbock, Texas.
• Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962-3/22/1979 [Archival Database]; Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam Conflict, 1/20/1967-12/1998; Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD.
• 1986 U.S. Public Records in Austin, Texas on 4403 Greystone Drive.
• POW Network found here
• Veteran Tributes found here
• U.S. Social Security Death Index.
• Web: Obituary Daily Times Index.
• Cook-Walden |Capital Parks Funeral Home and Cemetery Obituary [2]
• Texas Death Record for Harvey Carroll

Footnotes

1. ↑ TX Birth Recs
2. ↑ TX Death Recs
3. ↑ NAM POW list
4. ↑ Photos taken during his career are available on-line. See them all here in page belonging to son, Glenn Copeland
5. ↑ Vet Trib
6. ↑ TX Death Rec
7. ↑ 1940: Copeland, H.C. 42, b. Texas, Proprietor farmer, head; Estelle 37, b. Texas, wife; Nila Mae 10, b. Texas, daughter; H.C. Jr. 8, b. Texas, son.

Acknowledgements