Date of birth: 05/22/51

Family: Parents: Carl and Shirley Rettig Coon, Brother: Doug

Branch of service: Army

Rank: Corporal

From the 1968 football season. From left, Dunkirk’s Dave Criscione, Fredonia’s Dave Coon and Mindszenty’s Carl Nasca.

Date of Induction: 1/20/70

Date of casualty: 01/17/71

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Location: Panel 5W Line 52

Today on this most solemn American holiday we would like to honor one of Fredonia’s finest, Dave Coon, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his Country.

Early years

David “Pa” Coon, pictured after earning student of the month honors.

Dave’s earliest days were spent on Lamberton Road in between Fredonia and Brocton. He attended Brocton schools at that time. His 1st real friend was his neighbor Dennis Fowler. The youngsters had a pretty good area to grow up in. Little Canadaway Creek runs parallel to Lamberton Road and that creek provided a wonderful place to forge a great friendship. One could fish, catch craw fish, frogs and turtles, etc and do whatever else your imagination could muster. Mr. Coon was a pretty handy guy and built go-karts for the boys. This gave Dave his first taste of driving fast, something he would become noted for in high school.

In 1958 when Dave was in second grade the family moved to 15 Gillis Street in Fredonia. He would make many new friends with that move while attending Eagle St. School. He would eventually have sixth grade in the old Webster Street school house and then move onto Wheelock for junior high. It was during this time he would meet a boy who would eventually become his closet buddy, Don Marsh. Their friendship blossomed in the newly formed Fredonia Little League. Both made (remember there were “cuts” in those days) the Firemen team. That team included many kids from St. Joseph’s school including Dan Wolfe, who would go on to become a 4 sport athlete at rival Cardinal Mindszenty.

In 1964 Mr. and Mrs. Coon divorced. Mr. Coon moved to 31 Gillis St. and Mrs. Coon and the boys moved to 5 Terrace St. Mrs. Coon was a working Mom and was employed at places in Fredonia like Murphy’s Store and Appian Way (remember pizza in a box ?). This move put him closer to his buddy Don’s house and they began to spend even more time together. Terrace St. bordered the Old Main/Campus School and the Barker St. playground. Many sandlot baseball games, with Coach Hughes sometimes providing the bases, and other activities took place there with the Hunter brothers, Glenn, Brian & Craig, Charley Condello, Chuck Civiletto, Mick Dunning, Nick Green, the Cash brothers, brother Doug along with many more of the neighborhood guys. Fredonia did not yet have Babe Ruth so after his Little League career was over he moved onto Fredonia’s Bill Edwards league. His team was M&T Trust under the tutelage of Manager Don Fadale!!! Amongst his other teammates were some of his Barker St. buddies Brian and Glenn Hunter & Mick Dunning. He played Midget League for Packers where his love of football began. Games were played at Mindszenty Field on Central Ave in Dunkirk. My wife Cindy Lewandowski Coniglio, who grew up at the corner of Barker St. & Temple St, remembers Chuck Civiletto and Dave helping the younger kids get their skates on when the sprinkler area was turned into ice during the winter months at the playground.

Brotherly Love

The Coon brothers were 3 years apart and had a good relationship doing what baby boomers did in those days. The driveway basketball games on Gillis St. got intense as they grew older, enough so that it cost Doug 12 stitches but he triumphantly made the shot!! They boxed using small pillows as gloves. Dave would get on his knees to even things until Doug landed a good one prompting Dave to change the rules. As youngsters they spent time on their Grandparents farm on Boutwell Hill Rd in Cherry Creek. They, along with their first cousins, helped with getting the hay put up and other duties on the dairy and cattle farm. They learned to drive at a young age in the farm’s field cars, a ’53 Mercury Coupe and a ’55 Pontiac. Mr. Coon would take the go-karts to the Dunkirk Airport “test track” and they could really get them going on the runway!! Doug remembers going to the Fair and fishing in the small pool set up by the Conservation club. If you caught a fish your reward was a silver Dollar. Doug still has his and Dave’s. He too had an outstanding athletic career at FHS as a HB and LB in football and a top sprinter and hurdler in track. He wrote a heartfelt letter to his brother on what would have been his 65th birthday. He is an Army veteran himself and connected with and continues to communicate with the men Dave served with in Vietnam.

High School Life – In the fall of 1965 Dave entered high school at the new East Main Street campus. By his senior year the family had moved to Adams Road. Here’s a look at those years.

Fraternity

Late in his freshman year not wanting to pledge for AZK or DIO, Dave along with good buddies Don Marsh, Don Fadale, Chuck Civiletto, Chuck Mangus, Dave Buffa, Vince Incitto, Nick Green, Jim Oakes, etc. restarted the ITK fraternity that due to the attrition of members had become idle. Not surprisingly Dave was elected President and would hold that title until he graduated. From this small group they grew by recruiting the incoming freshman class.

Tom Destro, Paul Siebert, Tom Saden, Bob Greene, Rod Pennica, Dave Haight, Dale Dillenburg and many others in that class and subsequent classes. Dave would be succeeded as President by Paul Siebert, Dick Barone, his brother Doug, Mark Tomkiewicz and yours truly in my Junior and senior years. During those years ITK members would become core of the FHS athlete program i.e. 9 of 11 starters on the ’74 football team were members. Frats and Sororities were very much part of the high school experience in that era with an emphasis on the “social” side of things.

They sponsored dances at the Fredonia Grange, hosted $1 keg parties to fund their summer house parties, used to meet up with the EUX girls from Dunkirk at the dances at the old DHS, had an occasional scuffle with the Dunkirk guys in frats like ZZT or ABA at the Point or the HUB. Their meetings/party’s we held at Don Fadale’s (Gee one wonders why, must have been the “breakage”), Chuck Civiletto’s barn, Rod Pennica’s house and in later years at the Schoolhouse which was part of the Siebert property on Berry Road.

Sports

He participated in the traditional sports of the day: football, basketball and baseball. Above all he loved and excelled at football.

As a fullback/halfback and linebacker he was known as a strong runner on offense and a tenacious, hard hitting defender. As Co-Captain he convinced his friends Don Marsh and Jake McCune to play in their senior year. His enthusiasm for the sport was even evident at practice as he once tackled Coach Johnston who was demonstrating how to run a sweep properly or his little tussle with Coach Principe who happened to pull his hair during a drill!! In both his Junior and senior years he was the leading scorer along with “Little 3” rivals Dunkirk’s Dave Criscione and Mindszenty’s Dan Wolfe & Carl Nasca. As you can see he was in pretty good company with some of the area’s best athletes of that era. He played JV basketball and was also on the baseball team throughout high school.

Social life

Dave had a relationship with Patsy Green. They were affectionately known as “Ma & Pa” to their friends. She was a Varsity cheerleader so she was at every football game his Junior and Senior years. She went to all the baseball games. They attended the dances at the Hub and St. Anthony’s Hall listening to bands like the Cavemen. They were homecoming King & Queen in their senior years. Went to the Junior Prom together and when Dave balked at going to the Senior Prom, his buddy Vince Incitto was nice enough to “substitute” for him. After graduation they decided, as many high school sweethearts do, to go their separate ways as there were new experiences to be explored.

Cars and speed seem to come up several times. Whether it was his ’55 Chevy or his Mom’s car he enjoyed driving the curves of Spoden Road at a high speed returning from Glasgow Park. Or his record time returning from Cleveland after attending an Indians game with Don Fadale, Tom Destro and Jake McCune. Vince Incitto remembers Dave picking him up during the winter in the ’55 Chevy and that it seemed the heater was never working properly. Or having his battery explode while getting a jump coming back from Cherry Creek. Or having a young lady from Dunkirk fly out the back seat rounding the curve at the old entrance to the Point by the Lighthouse.

Some of his closest friends were not just his frat brothers. Mike Spacc, Ron “Ace” Everett, Jake McCune and Brian Cunningham were all good friends of his. Dave had a way of drawing people to him. He was a good listener and a confidante too many friends, people respected him and admired his demeanor. He did seem to have a “sly” grin on his face most of the time which did lead to some normal high school hijinks for those days!!

¯ Like putting a speaker in the hallway and shutting the door unbeknownst to the teacher setting up the 16mm film who kept turning up the volume louder and louder because he couldn’t hear it until several others teachers ran to room and remedied the situation.

¯ Enjoying a ™ keg with Jake and some of the guys up on the Chestnut St. field one night that led to a fast getaway from the Police that turned out to be a guy walking his dog.

¯ Spending time with Don Marsh and others at Mr. Coon’s place at Bourne’s Beach in Westfield.

¯ Taking Dave’s car up to Pope John Paul 23rd Center in Cassadaga to toboggan down that big hill.

¯ Having a mid-week party with Mike Spacc, Don Marsh & Dave Bleck and their subsequent hangover the next day minimized by sleeping through “The Bridge over the River Kwai” that was being shown in the auditorium.

¯ He came to the aid of Paul Christopher who was involved in a scuffle with a bunch of Brockport State guys at Pontillo’s. His quick work with a shovel evened things up until aid from the likes of Bill Siebert, LaVerne Derby, Jim Migliore, Tom Brown, Mike Laurito, Chuck Civiletto to name a few showed up and sent those guys back to Brockport with their tails between their legs!!

His senior year was pretty impressive. Besides him and Patsy being the Homecoming King & Queen and being the Co-Captain of the Football team, he was the Student Council President and won Student of the Week honors in the Observer.

Post high school – summer of 1969

Mr. Coon was a Foreman at Allegheny Ludlum Steel so that gave Dave the opportunity to work summer help there. He spent time at the Lucas Ave. Plant alongside his buddy Bill Siebert. His love of football took him to Hudson Valley CC. A few weeks into training camp he was called home to attend the funerals of two good friends that had been tragically killed in a car crash. He spent some extra time at home and subsequently missed class registration at HVCC. He then took a job as a salesmen at Larry Spacc Pontiac.

Military

With the Vietnam War going on, the high school graduates of 1969 and young men of similar age were facing a changing situation concerning military service. College deferments were getting more difficult to obtain, the National Guard and Reserve forces had long waiting lists and an impending draft lottery system was going to begin on 12/1/69. Dave and many of his buddies were going to have to make some decisions very soon. It was a regular topic of conversion when they got together at the Nugget, which later became SUNNY’S. By November of ’69 they started to make those decisions. Nick Green signed up for the Coast Guard followed by Mike McKinnon enlisting in the Marines. A group of 5 guys, Dave, Bill Siebert, Bob Morse, Jim Dillenburg and Jim Cobb from Silver Creek decided to volunteer for the Army. Dave apparently wasn’t sure his friends were really going to go so he enlisted before them. Seems Dave felt if his friends and other young men just like him were going to be harm’s way and this was a motivating factor in his decision to enlist. Eventually they all enlisted but Dave was now a month or so ahead of them in the process. Incidentally Dave’s lottery number was 326.

In mid-January 1970 they had a big bash at Dave’s house on Adams Road. as he was going to report for duty within the next few days. There was a cake, beer and booze and things got a little crazy as one can imagine with Dave even getting his head shaved. It lasted until about 5 a.m. Bill Siebert would drive Dave to Buffalo to officially begin his Army career. In an interesting twist of fate Jake McCune was scheduled for physical that very same day and Bill drove him back to Fredonia.

Dave went to Fort Dix in New Jersey for basic training. His four buddies soon followed him and they along with another Fredonia guy, Dan McKinnon, briefly crossed paths at Fort Dix. After he completed basic training it was off to Fort Polk for advanced infantry training. Initially he was slated for NCO school but opted to volunteer for a 12 month tour of duty in Vietnam. He left from Fort Benning Georgia on Aug. 13, 1970, for Vietnam.

By late October, with his original division having gone home and still with time left on his deployment, he was transferred to the Americal division, Recon Platoon, E Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry, 198th Light Infantry Brigade. They were based at the huge military installation in Chu Lai on the South China Sea. It housed both US Marines and Army along with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). Also in the Americal division was Brian “Barney” Barnes. Barney was a Fredonia guy and did get to see Dave a couple times while at Chu Lai.

Dave’s Recon platoon operated out of LZ Stinson, a forward firebase in Quang Ngai Province. In the early morning hours of January 17, 1971, his Recon platoon approached the village of Tra Binh. During this mission Dave and 2 other fellow soldiers were killed along with several others wounded.

Within days the Coon family would be notified of Dave’s death. Doug found out after returning home from shooting some hoops at the Civiletto barn. He saw several cars in the driveway and was met by his Grandfather who then told him about Dave. The family and the community were devastated with this news. A young man who had accomplished so much and would never have the opportunity to realize the potential that was so evident.

Funeral services would be held on January 26. It was a typical cold and snowy day in WNY. Friends gathered from near and far to be there. The Coon family had requested Bill Siebert be there for the funeral. His CO told him to get on the next plane and he did just that as did many others. In Dave’s front page obituary in the OBSERVER, Athletic Director and Basketball Coach Roger Moore seemed to capture perfectly who Dave was:

“Perhaps his finest attribute was his ability to lead, not only in athletics but in any student body activity in which he was involved. His dedication to the sport he was participating in was in many ways an inspiration to all of us, members of the team and coaching staff alike”

For more details on Dave’s final mission and tributes to him please see the following links:

Dave’s name is among the 58,000 on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. But when Vince Incitto visited there the 1st time he did not even need the location. He was immediately drawn to a certain spot on the Wall and there in front of him was Dave’s name. Coincidence? No. Vince knows it was his old friend calling him to that exact location to say hello.

Dave’s influence on his friends is still evident today. Here is a recent Facebook post from Brian Hunter directed at brother Doug:

“Doug Coon hope you’re doing well. This is so long overdue, and forgive me if I’d shared this with you at one point…but… long before he left us, Dave was my hero, the guy I wanted to be like. Always made everyone know they mattered. Every time I stepped on a field or court it was to compete at the level he did. (Yeah, I was also living under the athletics “shadow “of being Glenn’s brother. (As a younger brother I’m sure you can relate) I ran for SC President because Dave did. The first time my son saw me cry was standing at the wall. Besides a twin” tattoo the only one I’ve strongly considered is PW5L52. The character model I’ve spent a life time trying to emulate … Sorry for coming out of the blue at you like this, but … From hanging out at Barker Street playground to playing pool at your house on Terrace Street to this day, both of you are still an important part of my life. Be well my old friend.”

I have no doubt that words and memories like Brian’s could be repeated by dozens of people that knew Dave. So today on Memorial Day please remember him and all our fallen heroes. Keep the Gold Star families like the Coon’s in your thoughts and prayers. It is the least we can do for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our Country. God bless them all.

This article would not have been possible without the support of many people. Doug Coon’s contributions have been huge, supplying photos, articles and his personal remembrances. Special thanks to Chuck Civiletto, Don Fadale, Don Marsh, Jake McCune, Nick & Patsy Green, Ann LaDuca, Vince Incitto, Jim Dillenburg, Mike Spacc, Brian Hunter, Cal Astry, Bill & Paul Siebert, Tom Destro, Denny Fowler, Jim Oakes, Dan McKinnion, Brian Barnes, Mike Tomkiewicz and Mick Dunning along with my dinner crew: My wife Cindy, Larry & Daryl Spacc and my sister Cynthia and BIL John Fitzgerald for allowing me to probe into events of past that occurred over 50 years ago!!! And thanks to my sister Candace Jordan for her editing work!!