The Duke Family has lost yet another Original Pioneer LTC Lee Cooper, who·passed away at a rehab center in FWB on·Tuesday 16 Sep after suffering declining health for quiet sometime.·He was one of the first as a Pilot who came to Duke in the early 70s and helped make the 711SOS the best flying squadron in the Air Force Reserve. He was also essential in converting to AC-130A Gunships in 1975, once again leading the 711SOS to become the top flying squadron in Air Force Special Operations. Lee was a well·respected member of the 919SOW who served his unit and country with great pride. He will be truly missed by everyone that knew him.

Lee was assigned to the 919th on its first day back in 1971. At the time he had a real estate office next to the old theatre in downtown Ft. Walton Beach. Prior to that, Lee started his military career as a Sherman tank driver in the Missouri National Guard. During that time he got·a pilot slot as a cadet and·graduated to F-86s and eventually became a forward air controller assigned to a Vietnamese A-1 unit at Hue·Phu Bai. There were large gaps in Lee's·life that he never shared with me, and He was famous for never being far from a cigarette or cup of black coffee.

In our early years with the 919th, in the 70s and 80s, when many of us "Reserve Bums" waited for "orders" to fly or a days work at the 919th,·we would join Mr. Cooper, who daily held court at a "reserved" table" at the old Joe and Eddies Restaurant near downtown FWB. There we, and many of Lee's other local employed·& unemployed friends and acquaintances from· house painters and cooks·to local politicians and full Colonels, would·take turns·to join Lee for an hour or so (or until our wives called us home) and swap stories and jokes or argue about·politics, sports,·and other trivial·nonsense and share laughs,·and then leave only to be replaced by another of Lee's friends or acquaintances. Lee sometimes spent an entire day holding court at that table, generally only drinking coffee and smoking as he read the papers, conversed with friends and the Staff at Joe and Eddies and just hanging out. He prided himself in knowing something about just about anything, and the conversation often turned into some strange topics, but it was a good time for a few hours on any day one of us was able to join him.·

As for Lee's flying ability, he was an excellent pilot, and those of us who had a chance to fly with him always had a great time. Lee·was a treasured friend, and when·many of us·original 919th members get together to reminisce about the "good" old days,·the conversations and good times we shared with Lee still come up.