Colonel Coyne was born March 1, 1930 in Colon,Panama where his father was employed by the U.S. Navy in the Panama Canal Zone. The family returned to the United States when he was three years old.
Colonel Coyne lived in the suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area until 1939, when the family moved to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He attended St. Mildred's School in Laurel, Md., graduating from high school in 1948. While in high school, he was president of the junior and senior classes, as well as editor of the student newspaper and yearbook. He was also President of the Fort Meade Teenagers Club.
He then enrolled in the University of Maryland at College Park, majoring in journalism. Whle in college, he was President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, chairman of the Student Government Association, Junior Class Vice President, Cadet Colonel in Air Force R.O.T.C. and a reporter and columnist for the student newspaper, The Diamondback, Military Editor of the yearbook, The Terrapin, and Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity. He was campus reporter for the Washington Star, the Baltimore Sun and United Press. He graduated in 1953 with a B.S. in journalism and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
After a short stint as a copy boy at the Washington (D.C.) Evening Star, he became news editor of the U.S. Government Advertiser, a daily newspaper covering government procurement news. In that capacity, he covered Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, including Secretary of Defense press conferences.
Col. Coyne, was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in January 1954. He attended flight school at Bartown Air Base, Florida, and Goodtown Air Force Base, Texas pinning on his wings in December 1954. He was then assigned as a pilot at Langley AFB, Virginia, in the Flight Section of Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. In addition to flying military VIPs, he wrote extensively for newspapers and aviation magazines.
He fulfilled his AFROTC active duty commitment in December 1956, returned to civilian life, and became Editor of World Highways, published by International Road Federation in Washington, D.C. Col. Coyne also joined the Air National Guard and flew F-86 jet fighters on weekends. He traveled extensively in Mexico and Central and South Americam reporting on the then-new Pan American Highway.
In 1959, Col. Coyne moved to New York City and became News Director for Railway Express Agency (REA), writing news releases, magazine articles, promotional brochures and speeches.
In October 1961, he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Crisis of that year. In the same month, he married the former Carolyn Louise Banks, of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. The couple were assigned successively to Mansfield, Ohio to Luke AFB, Arizona, where he flew the F-84 Thunderjet, and then MacDill AFB, Florida, and Eglin AFB, Florida, where he flew the F4C Phantom.
In April 1965, Col. Coyne, by then a Captain, volunteered for duty in the war in Southeast Asia. He became aide de camp to the Vice Commander, Seventh Air Force, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at Saigon, South Vietnam. During his one year tour of duty, he flew F4s out of bases in Thailand and South Vietnam, compiling 104 combat missions, 63 of which were flown over North Vietnam and Laos.
At the completion of his combat tour, he was assigned to the Pacific/Southeast Asia branch of U.S. Air Force War Plans in the Pentagon in May 1966. As an Air Staff action officer, he participated in studies, and wrote plans, Draft Presidential Memoranda, talking points and background memoranda for use by General Officers in meetings with the other armed services and the White House. During the last year and a half of his first Pentagon tour, he wrote speeches for the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force. He was promoted to Major and was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during his five year tour.
In June, 1971, he was assigned to Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, where he was Operations Officer of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the A-7D Corsair II fighter bomber. In January 1973 the squadron was assigned to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, in Thailand, and Col. Coyne began his second combat tour, flying 26 combat missions, for a total of 130 combat missions in the Southeast Asia War.
In April 1973, he was selected for promotion to Colonel and to attend the National War College, Fort McNair, in Washington, D.C. He assumed the rank of Colonel while attending NWC.
Graduating from National War College in June, 1974 he was assigned once again to the Pentagon as Chief, NATO Policy Branch, J-5, part of the organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In June 1976, Colonel Coyne was assigned as Deputy Commander, F-4s and F-15s, of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona flying the F-15 Eagle.
In June, 1978, he was assigned to Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Belgium, where he was Senior Executive Officer, Operations Division, the largest division in SHAPE.
Following his three-year tour at SHAPE, he was reassigned to his third Pentagon tour, this time as Chief, Security Assistance and Arms Transfer, J-5 in the organization of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. In this assignment, he was responsible for JCS actions related to arms sales to foreign nations.
Colonial Coyne retired from the U.S. Air Force in August 1984. While on active duty and after retirement, he wrote numerous articles for newspapers and magazines, including well known aviation publications such as Popular Aviation, Airman, Air Force and AOPA Pilot.
After retirement from the Air Force, he became Senior Editor, Air Force Magazine, published by the U.S. Air Force Association. In May 1986, he became Editor in Chief, Signal Magazine, published by the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. In August 1989, he retired from the magazine business to become an author. He has written three books, and is finishing a fourth.
Colonel Coyne has appeared as an air war consultant during both Persian Gulf Wars on ABC World News Tonight With Peter Jennings and Prime Time Live With Dianne Sawyer. He has appeared on local TV stations (ABC,CBS and FOX)in Salisbury, MD and Washington, D.C. and has been frequently featured on talk radio stations.
Throughout the first Iraq War, he was quoted and referenced as a source of military aviation expertise in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald and by nationwide news services.
Colonel Coyne holds sixteen military decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, five Air Medals, four Air Force Meritotrious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, one with V for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He retired with 31 years of service, 26 of them on active duty.
He resided in Ocean Pines, MD, with his wife,the former Carolyn Louise Banks of Mifflintown, PA from 1989 to 2014 when they moved to Ashburn, VA. They have a son, James, who lives in Washington, D.C.
Colonel Coyne was active in Ocean Pines civic affairs. He was a member of Ocean Pines Election Committee for nine years, two of them as co-chairman. He was chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Ocean Pines Post Office and was a leader in the successful effort to bring a branch of the Worchester County Library to Ocean Pines. He was the first president and is still a member of the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library. He is a member of the Ocean Pines Kiwanis Club, the Ocean Pines Boat Club, Evergreen Masonic Lodge in Berlin, Boumi Temple Shrine in Baltimore, MD, the Ocean City Shrine Club, the Air Force Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Family will have a time of private visitation 12:00 pm on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Colonial Funeral Home, 201 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176; where a time of public visitation is scheduled to follow between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Burial to take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
Colonel Coyne lived in the suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area until 1939, when the family moved to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He attended St. Mildred's School in Laurel, Md., graduating from high school in 1948. While in high school, he was president of the junior and senior classes, as well as editor of the student newspaper and yearbook. He was also President of the Fort Meade Teenagers Club.
He then enrolled in the University of Maryland at College Park, majoring in journalism. Whle in college, he was President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, chairman of the Student Government Association, Junior Class Vice President, Cadet Colonel in Air Force R.O.T.C. and a reporter and columnist for the student newspaper, The Diamondback, Military Editor of the yearbook, The Terrapin, and Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity. He was campus reporter for the Washington Star, the Baltimore Sun and United Press. He graduated in 1953 with a B.S. in journalism and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
After a short stint as a copy boy at the Washington (D.C.) Evening Star, he became news editor of the U.S. Government Advertiser, a daily newspaper covering government procurement news. In that capacity, he covered Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, including Secretary of Defense press conferences.
Col. Coyne, was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in January 1954. He attended flight school at Bartown Air Base, Florida, and Goodtown Air Force Base, Texas pinning on his wings in December 1954. He was then assigned as a pilot at Langley AFB, Virginia, in the Flight Section of Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. In addition to flying military VIPs, he wrote extensively for newspapers and aviation magazines.
He fulfilled his AFROTC active duty commitment in December 1956, returned to civilian life, and became Editor of World Highways, published by International Road Federation in Washington, D.C. Col. Coyne also joined the Air National Guard and flew F-86 jet fighters on weekends. He traveled extensively in Mexico and Central and South Americam reporting on the then-new Pan American Highway.
In 1959, Col. Coyne moved to New York City and became News Director for Railway Express Agency (REA), writing news releases, magazine articles, promotional brochures and speeches.
In October 1961, he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Crisis of that year. In the same month, he married the former Carolyn Louise Banks, of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. The couple were assigned successively to Mansfield, Ohio to Luke AFB, Arizona, where he flew the F-84 Thunderjet, and then MacDill AFB, Florida, and Eglin AFB, Florida, where he flew the F4C Phantom.
In April 1965, Col. Coyne, by then a Captain, volunteered for duty in the war in Southeast Asia. He became aide de camp to the Vice Commander, Seventh Air Force, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at Saigon, South Vietnam. During his one year tour of duty, he flew F4s out of bases in Thailand and South Vietnam, compiling 104 combat missions, 63 of which were flown over North Vietnam and Laos.
At the completion of his combat tour, he was assigned to the Pacific/Southeast Asia branch of U.S. Air Force War Plans in the Pentagon in May 1966. As an Air Staff action officer, he participated in studies, and wrote plans, Draft Presidential Memoranda, talking points and background memoranda for use by General Officers in meetings with the other armed services and the White House. During the last year and a half of his first Pentagon tour, he wrote speeches for the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force. He was promoted to Major and was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during his five year tour.
In June, 1971, he was assigned to Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, where he was Operations Officer of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the A-7D Corsair II fighter bomber. In January 1973 the squadron was assigned to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, in Thailand, and Col. Coyne began his second combat tour, flying 26 combat missions, for a total of 130 combat missions in the Southeast Asia War.
In April 1973, he was selected for promotion to Colonel and to attend the National War College, Fort McNair, in Washington, D.C. He assumed the rank of Colonel while attending NWC.
Graduating from National War College in June, 1974 he was assigned once again to the Pentagon as Chief, NATO Policy Branch, J-5, part of the organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In June 1976, Colonel Coyne was assigned as Deputy Commander, F-4s and F-15s, of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona flying the F-15 Eagle.
In June, 1978, he was assigned to Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Belgium, where he was Senior Executive Officer, Operations Division, the largest division in SHAPE.
Following his three-year tour at SHAPE, he was reassigned to his third Pentagon tour, this time as Chief, Security Assistance and Arms Transfer, J-5 in the organization of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. In this assignment, he was responsible for JCS actions related to arms sales to foreign nations.
Colonial Coyne retired from the U.S. Air Force in August 1984. While on active duty and after retirement, he wrote numerous articles for newspapers and magazines, including well known aviation publications such as Popular Aviation, Airman, Air Force and AOPA Pilot.
After retirement from the Air Force, he became Senior Editor, Air Force Magazine, published by the U.S. Air Force Association. In May 1986, he became Editor in Chief, Signal Magazine, published by the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. In August 1989, he retired from the magazine business to become an author. He has written three books, and is finishing a fourth.
Colonel Coyne has appeared as an air war consultant during both Persian Gulf Wars on ABC World News Tonight With Peter Jennings and Prime Time Live With Dianne Sawyer. He has appeared on local TV stations (ABC,CBS and FOX)in Salisbury, MD and Washington, D.C. and has been frequently featured on talk radio stations.
Throughout the first Iraq War, he was quoted and referenced as a source of military aviation expertise in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald and by nationwide news services.
Colonel Coyne holds sixteen military decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, five Air Medals, four Air Force Meritotrious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, one with V for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He retired with 31 years of service, 26 of them on active duty.
He resided in Ocean Pines, MD, with his wife,the former Carolyn Louise Banks of Mifflintown, PA from 1989 to 2014 when they moved to Ashburn, VA. They have a son, James, who lives in Washington, D.C.
Colonel Coyne was active in Ocean Pines civic affairs. He was a member of Ocean Pines Election Committee for nine years, two of them as co-chairman. He was chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Ocean Pines Post Office and was a leader in the successful effort to bring a branch of the Worchester County Library to Ocean Pines. He was the first president and is still a member of the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library. He is a member of the Ocean Pines Kiwanis Club, the Ocean Pines Boat Club, Evergreen Masonic Lodge in Berlin, Boumi Temple Shrine in Baltimore, MD, the Ocean City Shrine Club, the Air Force Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Family will have a time of private visitation 12:00 pm on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Colonial Funeral Home, 201 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176; where a time of public visitation is scheduled to follow between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Burial to take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
Colonel Coyne was born March 1, 1930 in Colon,Panama where his father was employed by the U.S. Navy in the Panama Canal Zone. The family returned to the United States when he was three years old.
Colonel Coyne lived in the suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area until 1939, when the family moved to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He attended St. Mildred's School in Laurel, Md., graduating from high school in 1948. While in high school, he was president of the junior and senior classes, as well as editor of the student newspaper and yearbook. He was also President of the Fort Meade Teenagers Club.
He then enrolled in the University of Maryland at College Park, majoring in journalism. Whle in college, he was President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, chairman of the Student Government Association, Junior Class Vice President, Cadet Colonel in Air Force R.O.T.C. and a reporter and columnist for the student newspaper, The Diamondback, Military Editor of the yearbook, The Terrapin, and Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity. He was campus reporter for the Washington Star, the Baltimore Sun and United Press. He graduated in 1953 with a B.S. in journalism and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
After a short stint as a copy boy at the Washington (D.C.) Evening Star, he became news editor of the U.S. Government Advertiser, a daily newspaper covering government procurement news. In that capacity, he covered Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, including Secretary of Defense press conferences.
Col. Coyne, was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in January 1954. He attended flight school at Bartown Air Base, Florida, and Goodtown Air Force Base, Texas pinning on his wings in December 1954. He was then assigned as a pilot at Langley AFB, Virginia, in the Flight Section of Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. In addition to flying military VIPs, he wrote extensively for newspapers and aviation magazines.
He fulfilled his AFROTC active duty commitment in December 1956, returned to civilian life, and became Editor of World Highways, published by International Road Federation in Washington, D.C. Col. Coyne also joined the Air National Guard and flew F-86 jet fighters on weekends. He traveled extensively in Mexico and Central and South Americam reporting on the then-new Pan American Highway.
In 1959, Col. Coyne moved to New York City and became News Director for Railway Express Agency (REA), writing news releases, magazine articles, promotional brochures and speeches.
In October 1961, he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Crisis of that year. In the same month, he married the former Carolyn Louise Banks, of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. The couple were assigned successively to Mansfield, Ohio to Luke AFB, Arizona, where he flew the F-84 Thunderjet, and then MacDill AFB, Florida, and Eglin AFB, Florida, where he flew the F4C Phantom.
In April 1965, Col. Coyne, by then a Captain, volunteered for duty in the war in Southeast Asia. He became aide de camp to the Vice Commander, Seventh Air Force, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at Saigon, South Vietnam. During his one year tour of duty, he flew F4s out of bases in Thailand and South Vietnam, compiling 104 combat missions, 63 of which were flown over North Vietnam and Laos.
At the completion of his combat tour, he was assigned to the Pacific/Southeast Asia branch of U.S. Air Force War Plans in the Pentagon in May 1966. As an Air Staff action officer, he participated in studies, and wrote plans, Draft Presidential Memoranda, talking points and background memoranda for use by General Officers in meetings with the other armed services and the White House. During the last year and a half of his first Pentagon tour, he wrote speeches for the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force. He was promoted to Major and was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during his five year tour.
In June, 1971, he was assigned to Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, where he was Operations Officer of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the A-7D Corsair II fighter bomber. In January 1973 the squadron was assigned to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, in Thailand, and Col. Coyne began his second combat tour, flying 26 combat missions, for a total of 130 combat missions in the Southeast Asia War.
In April 1973, he was selected for promotion to Colonel and to attend the National War College, Fort McNair, in Washington, D.C. He assumed the rank of Colonel while attending NWC.
Graduating from National War College in June, 1974 he was assigned once again to the Pentagon as Chief, NATO Policy Branch, J-5, part of the organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In June 1976, Colonel Coyne was assigned as Deputy Commander, F-4s and F-15s, of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona flying the F-15 Eagle.
In June, 1978, he was assigned to Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Belgium, where he was Senior Executive Officer, Operations Division, the largest division in SHAPE.
Following his three-year tour at SHAPE, he was reassigned to his third Pentagon tour, this time as Chief, Security Assistance and Arms Transfer, J-5 in the organization of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. In this assignment, he was responsible for JCS actions related to arms sales to foreign nations.
Colonial Coyne retired from the U.S. Air Force in August 1984. While on active duty and after retirement, he wrote numerous articles for newspapers and magazines, including well known aviation publications such as Popular Aviation, Airman, Air Force and AOPA Pilot.
After retirement from the Air Force, he became Senior Editor, Air Force Magazine, published by the U.S. Air Force Association. In May 1986, he became Editor in Chief, Signal Magazine, published by the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. In August 1989, he retired from the magazine business to become an author. He has written three books, and is finishing a fourth.
Colonel Coyne has appeared as an air war consultant during both Persian Gulf Wars on ABC World News Tonight With Peter Jennings and Prime Time Live With Dianne Sawyer. He has appeared on local TV stations (ABC,CBS and FOX)in Salisbury, MD and Washington, D.C. and has been frequently featured on talk radio stations.
Throughout the first Iraq War, he was quoted and referenced as a source of military aviation expertise in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald and by nationwide news services.
Colonel Coyne holds sixteen military decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, five Air Medals, four Air Force Meritotrious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, one with V for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He retired with 31 years of service, 26 of them on active duty.
He resided in Ocean Pines, MD, with his wife,the former Carolyn Louise Banks of Mifflintown, PA from 1989 to 2014 when they moved to Ashburn, VA. They have a son, James, who lives in Washington, D.C.
Colonel Coyne was active in Ocean Pines civic affairs. He was a member of Ocean Pines Election Committee for nine years, two of them as co-chairman. He was chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Ocean Pines Post Office and was a leader in the successful effort to bring a branch of the Worchester County Library to Ocean Pines. He was the first president and is still a member of the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library. He is a member of the Ocean Pines Kiwanis Club, the Ocean Pines Boat Club, Evergreen Masonic Lodge in Berlin, Boumi Temple Shrine in Baltimore, MD, the Ocean City Shrine Club, the Air Force Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Family will have a time of private visitation 12:00 pm on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Colonial Funeral Home, 201 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176; where a time of public visitation is scheduled to follow between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Burial to take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
Colonel Coyne lived in the suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area until 1939, when the family moved to Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. He attended St. Mildred's School in Laurel, Md., graduating from high school in 1948. While in high school, he was president of the junior and senior classes, as well as editor of the student newspaper and yearbook. He was also President of the Fort Meade Teenagers Club.
He then enrolled in the University of Maryland at College Park, majoring in journalism. Whle in college, he was President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, chairman of the Student Government Association, Junior Class Vice President, Cadet Colonel in Air Force R.O.T.C. and a reporter and columnist for the student newspaper, The Diamondback, Military Editor of the yearbook, The Terrapin, and Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity. He was campus reporter for the Washington Star, the Baltimore Sun and United Press. He graduated in 1953 with a B.S. in journalism and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
After a short stint as a copy boy at the Washington (D.C.) Evening Star, he became news editor of the U.S. Government Advertiser, a daily newspaper covering government procurement news. In that capacity, he covered Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, including Secretary of Defense press conferences.
Col. Coyne, was called to active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in January 1954. He attended flight school at Bartown Air Base, Florida, and Goodtown Air Force Base, Texas pinning on his wings in December 1954. He was then assigned as a pilot at Langley AFB, Virginia, in the Flight Section of Headquarters, Tactical Air Command. In addition to flying military VIPs, he wrote extensively for newspapers and aviation magazines.
He fulfilled his AFROTC active duty commitment in December 1956, returned to civilian life, and became Editor of World Highways, published by International Road Federation in Washington, D.C. Col. Coyne also joined the Air National Guard and flew F-86 jet fighters on weekends. He traveled extensively in Mexico and Central and South Americam reporting on the then-new Pan American Highway.
In 1959, Col. Coyne moved to New York City and became News Director for Railway Express Agency (REA), writing news releases, magazine articles, promotional brochures and speeches.
In October 1961, he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Air Force during the Berlin Crisis of that year. In the same month, he married the former Carolyn Louise Banks, of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. The couple were assigned successively to Mansfield, Ohio to Luke AFB, Arizona, where he flew the F-84 Thunderjet, and then MacDill AFB, Florida, and Eglin AFB, Florida, where he flew the F4C Phantom.
In April 1965, Col. Coyne, by then a Captain, volunteered for duty in the war in Southeast Asia. He became aide de camp to the Vice Commander, Seventh Air Force, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at Saigon, South Vietnam. During his one year tour of duty, he flew F4s out of bases in Thailand and South Vietnam, compiling 104 combat missions, 63 of which were flown over North Vietnam and Laos.
At the completion of his combat tour, he was assigned to the Pacific/Southeast Asia branch of U.S. Air Force War Plans in the Pentagon in May 1966. As an Air Staff action officer, he participated in studies, and wrote plans, Draft Presidential Memoranda, talking points and background memoranda for use by General Officers in meetings with the other armed services and the White House. During the last year and a half of his first Pentagon tour, he wrote speeches for the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force. He was promoted to Major and was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during his five year tour.
In June, 1971, he was assigned to Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, where he was Operations Officer of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, flying the A-7D Corsair II fighter bomber. In January 1973 the squadron was assigned to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, in Thailand, and Col. Coyne began his second combat tour, flying 26 combat missions, for a total of 130 combat missions in the Southeast Asia War.
In April 1973, he was selected for promotion to Colonel and to attend the National War College, Fort McNair, in Washington, D.C. He assumed the rank of Colonel while attending NWC.
Graduating from National War College in June, 1974 he was assigned once again to the Pentagon as Chief, NATO Policy Branch, J-5, part of the organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In June 1976, Colonel Coyne was assigned as Deputy Commander, F-4s and F-15s, of the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona flying the F-15 Eagle.
In June, 1978, he was assigned to Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Belgium, where he was Senior Executive Officer, Operations Division, the largest division in SHAPE.
Following his three-year tour at SHAPE, he was reassigned to his third Pentagon tour, this time as Chief, Security Assistance and Arms Transfer, J-5 in the organization of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. In this assignment, he was responsible for JCS actions related to arms sales to foreign nations.
Colonial Coyne retired from the U.S. Air Force in August 1984. While on active duty and after retirement, he wrote numerous articles for newspapers and magazines, including well known aviation publications such as Popular Aviation, Airman, Air Force and AOPA Pilot.
After retirement from the Air Force, he became Senior Editor, Air Force Magazine, published by the U.S. Air Force Association. In May 1986, he became Editor in Chief, Signal Magazine, published by the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. In August 1989, he retired from the magazine business to become an author. He has written three books, and is finishing a fourth.
Colonel Coyne has appeared as an air war consultant during both Persian Gulf Wars on ABC World News Tonight With Peter Jennings and Prime Time Live With Dianne Sawyer. He has appeared on local TV stations (ABC,CBS and FOX)in Salisbury, MD and Washington, D.C. and has been frequently featured on talk radio stations.
Throughout the first Iraq War, he was quoted and referenced as a source of military aviation expertise in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald and by nationwide news services.
Colonel Coyne holds sixteen military decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, five Air Medals, four Air Force Meritotrious Service Medals, an Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, one with V for Valor, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He retired with 31 years of service, 26 of them on active duty.
He resided in Ocean Pines, MD, with his wife,the former Carolyn Louise Banks of Mifflintown, PA from 1989 to 2014 when they moved to Ashburn, VA. They have a son, James, who lives in Washington, D.C.
Colonel Coyne was active in Ocean Pines civic affairs. He was a member of Ocean Pines Election Committee for nine years, two of them as co-chairman. He was chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for an Ocean Pines Post Office and was a leader in the successful effort to bring a branch of the Worchester County Library to Ocean Pines. He was the first president and is still a member of the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library. He is a member of the Ocean Pines Kiwanis Club, the Ocean Pines Boat Club, Evergreen Masonic Lodge in Berlin, Boumi Temple Shrine in Baltimore, MD, the Ocean City Shrine Club, the Air Force Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Family will have a time of private visitation 12:00 pm on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Colonial Funeral Home, 201 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176; where a time of public visitation is scheduled to follow between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Burial to take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
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