Coyne John H.

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John H. Coyne is honored on the following 1 monument(s) in our database:

Lt (jg) John H. Coyne, Naval Aviator Memorial

Name:

John H. Coyne

Rank:

Lieutenant (Junior Grade)

Serial Number:

O-145728

Unit:

FS-1 (VOF-1)

Date of Death:

1944-08-21

State:

Illinois

Cemetery:

Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal, France

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Purple Heart, American Air Campaign Ribbon, Air Medal, European Africa Midd

Comments:

Lt (jg) John H. Coyne took off from the USS Tulagi at 1315 in his Grumman F6F Hellcat 582638 on a bombing mission on the Rhones river as part of an 8-plane wing. After strafing some barges, Coyne and another pilot were detached to investigate Grenoble�s surroundings. Around 1420 Coyne strafed a convoy near Sainte-Anatasie. Due to the low altitude, return fire disintegrated his plane. He bailed out at 600 feet, his parachute opening a mere seconds before hitting the ground, landing him right next to the troops he had just strafed with considerable injuries. His body was left there for a week, as the locals thought it came from a German plane. He was initially buried at Nimes then Luynes before finally resting at Epinal.