Submitted by Michael Stoddard, Dec 15, 2006 16:50

I read with great sadness of the passing of Jay Coupe, with whom I served at the United States Taiwan Defense Command. He was the most entertaining and talented person I've ever met, while also serving his country proudly on the world stage. We werestationed together in Taiwan during the time President Nixon was attempting to open Communist China to talks, beginning with ping-pong diplomacy. Since the United States still had formal relations with the Republic of China, it made for some tenseness in the U.S. T.D.C. mission. Jay was the public relations office for the Commander, Admiral Phillip Beshany. At one point Chou En-Lai, then Mao's second in control, criticized to the world's press a press release Jay had made. Jay was beaming at his war of words with the Chairman's number two man! Jay went down to Clark Air Base in the Phillipines to prepare for the return of the Vietnam prisoners of war, and enjoyed the company of Peter Arnett and others. Jay related to me that as the first jet left Hanoi in February of 1973 with the POWs who had been shot down first, the celebration began. One attendant told the POWs that the Dolphins had won the Super Bowl. One POW asked "Who are the Dolphins?" Another asked "What's the Super Bowl?" He remained proud of his role in that historic moment, and considered the POWs true American heroes. Thank you for the chance to remember a great American, Jay Coupe. Michael Stoddard, Senior Judge, Superior Courts of Georgia

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.