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Last updated Aug 14, 2008

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Retired Marine gives 50 years of service to Corps
January 20,2004
CYNDI BROWN
DAILY NEWS STAFF,

Jim Coker enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1953 for one tour and one tour only.

"I came in, and I was getting out at the end of my three years," said Coker.

But when that time came, his mother warned him to stay in since the service offered a job. So Coker decided to give the Marine Corps one more tour. But then he started picking up rank.

"Then I thought, what's the sense of getting out?" said Coker, who in 1985 and as a master gunnery sergeant finally retired - but not by choice.

"I didn't want to get out," said Coker, who put in a letter at the time to extend his almost 32 years of service for two more years. "They wrote me a nice letter. It said, 'Too bad. Go home.'"

However, he added, "I outfoxed them. I changed clothes and went back to work."

Coker, 68, has continually worked in government service since then, spending the last two years as a training specialist at the Financial Management School aboard Camp Johnson. Recently, Coker received a Meritorious Civilian Service Award, which recognizes career civilian employees for outstanding performance and significant accomplishments.

"I consider that a great honor," said Coker. "It was something I never expected or dreamed I would get. But then I guess not too many people got 50 years in government service."

Coker already had been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal while on active duty, where he started out as a cook.

He worked in different mess halls until 1965 when the then-sergeant went to Vietnam - and took a company mess with him. He remained a mess sergeant until 1977, when he was promoted to master guns.

Coker was stationed in Okinawa as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Westpac Food Management Team before switching to the East Coast food team where he remained until retiring. Over the years, Coker has seen many improvements in the Corps' food service - beginning with the food.

When he was behind the line, the hungry troops had no choices. The meat in the serving dish was the meat going on the tray.

"You took what was there, and that was it," he said. That changed in the 60s, when meal options were added. Then the equipment started improving. And then, by the late 70s/early 80s, so did the people.

"The people are easier to train, more dependable," said Coker of the implementation of a required General Technical score of at least 100 for food service Marines. "Things have gotten so much better since after Vietnam."

When he left the Corps, Coker became an instructor at the Food Service School aboard Camp Johnson.

"I was set on getting a job that went to work at a decent hour of the day," said Coker, who turned down three food management job offers in three months while waiting to hear on the instructor's job. It's not that he didn't enjoy the atmosphere - he didn't enjoy the hours.

"I don't miss working the weekends, and I don't miss working at 4 in the morning," said Coker. "I know when I was a Pfc., you'd be out there working, and it felt like nobody appreciated it."

He spent 10 years as a food service instructor at the Food Service School before it was moved to Ft. Lee, Va.; but since Coker had made a home in Jacksonville, he didn't want to go.

"Of course, I didn't want to go with the Army anyway," he said. So he planned on commuting until he could find something local. When a job at the Information Systems Management Office came open, Coker was ready - he had studied computers at Coastal Carolina Community College. In addition to his associates, Coker has a bachelor's degree from Columbia State.

"It was an accomplishment that I wanted to do," said Coker, who added that when he was enlisted in the Marine Corps, the idea of a college degree was a "sin." And, although he tried a couple of times, deployments took him off track.

At the Financial Management School, Coker produces and manages six different programs of instruction: two basic, two senior and two officer courses. He also maintains more than 100 master lesson files, which he calls his biggest challenge since each file - including lesson plans, student outlines, worksheets and concept cards - has to be updated and current.

"When they come in, that's what we get inspected on," said Coker. "So it's a constant, constant battle."

While Coker said he has developers to take care of the "meat of things. My mission," he added, "is to make sure they're doing it the right way."

Coker is originally from Indiana, and he had planned to retire from active duty to California. But when he returned to North Carolina after his stint in Okinawa, he was told there would be a year wait for base housing. Since he didn't relish the idea of living in an apartment, he bought a house. Two months later, he got a call that housing was available.

After making Jacksonville his home for eight years, he decided to stay.

"I'm glad I did," said Coker. "I got no desires to go to California."

Coker, who was widowed after 42 years of marriage, lives with Margie, his bride of nearly five years, in Sneads Ferry's North Shore Country Club, where Coker likes to work in the yard, golf and bowl in a league on base.

"If I could change my bowling score for my golf score and vice versa, I'd be in good shape," laughs Coker, who says he'll retire "when I get old enough.

"I've said I'm gonna retire in a couple of years," he added. "Of course, I've been saying that for 20 years."

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