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Pvt Vance T Coats

Great Falls, Montana

C Co 1/508th, 193rd Brigade

December 20, 1989

Served with C co 1/508th and fell during the siege of the Comadancia with the Ranger and mechanized assault late morning Dec 20th 1989

Vance was my best friend during basic, ait and airborne school. His death has haunted me for 20 years. In basic he learned he was to be assigned to the 82nd and I to panama. We talked about it, he wanted assignment outside the u.s. I wanted stateside(I had a new son). We applied for and was granted switching pda's. He went to Panama I went to bragg. A few months later I went to panama to jotc. I looked him up we had lunch and some beers. It was the last time I would see my friend. He is an american hero. He is my hero. I wish I knew how he gave his life.