Vietnam Veteran Couple Honored With Flagpole Tribute
Guest Contributor
In the heart of Canton, New York, a story of resilience, service, and enduring love is being honored in a unique and deeply symbolic way. Vietnam veterans Tom and Nellie Coakley, a couple whose lives were forever changed by the war and ultimately intertwined through it, will soon be recognized with an honorary flagpole at Partridge Run Golf Course. This tribute, part of a growing initiative by the American Heroes Flagpoles Foundation, celebrates not only their military service but the remarkable journey they have shared for more than five decades.
Tom Coakley's military story began with sacrifice. On August 23, 1969, during an ambush in Vietnam, he sustained severe injuries that would alter the course of his life. A telegram detailing his wounds—both arms, groin, both legs, and a surgical amputation of his left leg below the knee—was recently read aloud to him, over 55 years later. The gravity of those words speaks volumes about the physical and emotional toll he endured. Yet, out of that harrowing experience came an unexpected connection that would define his future.
During his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Tom became one of the many patients under the care of Nellie, an Army combat nurse who had also served in Vietnam. Their early interactions were brief and lighthearted, with Tom often stopping Nellie in the hallway to pose brain teasers she admits she could never solve. These small moments laid the groundwork for a deeper bond that would form later.
A year after they first met, Tom returned to the hospital to visit a friend. There, he learned that Nellie had transitioned to civilian life and was working on the kidney dialysis ward. Encouraged by a fellow nurse, he went to say hello. That visit rekindled their connection, and from that point on, their relationship blossomed. They have now been married for 53 years, a testament to the strength and depth of the partnership they built from shared experiences and mutual respect.
Their story caught the attention of Danny Kaifetz, founder of the American Heroes Flagpoles Foundation. Based in Owls Head, New York, Kaifetz's mission is to construct 100 wooden flagpoles over five years to honor veterans across the Northeast. Each flagpole is more than a structure—it is a symbol of sacrifice, service, and community remembrance. The Coakleys will be honored with the 35th and 36th flagpoles, marking a milestone for the foundation. As Kaifetz noted, this is the first time the foundation is recognizing an Army nurse and the first female recipient of the award.
The flagpole will be installed at Partridge Run Golf Course, a location chosen by the Coakleys. For Kevin Maginn, the course’s Director of Golf, the addition of a flagpole fulfills a long-held wish. “For 25 years I’ve wanted a flag here,” he said. “And I got one, and this one means a lot.” The setting is both personal and public—a place where the community can gather and reflect on the meaning behind the stars and stripes flying above.
The flag-raising ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. It promises to be a moment of solemn recognition and heartfelt celebration, honoring not only the Coakleys' military service but also their enduring contributions as veterans and as a couple. Their legacy is now etched into the landscape of Canton, visible to all who visit the golf course and learn about the lives behind the flag.
What I found especially striking in this story is how a moment of profound loss led to a lifelong partnership. The Coakleys’ journey—from battlefield injuries to a quiet life of shared purpose—illustrates the unexpected ways in which healing and love can emerge from hardship. Their recognition through the American Heroes Flagpoles Foundation is not just a tribute to their past, but a beacon for future generations to understand the personal stories behind military service.
As the flag rises over Partridge Run, it will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by veterans like Tom and Nellie Coakley. It will also stand as a symbol of the strength found in unity, the resilience born of adversity, and the quiet heroism that continues long after the battlefield has faded into memory.
