VETERANS
NURSING HOME NAMED AFTER ST. LUCIE WAR HERO
Ardie Ray Copas was killed in Cambodia in an act of bravery
Shyrell Copas-Herrera picked up
her father’s stone grave marker at
Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in
BY SUSAN BURGESS
Fort Pierce and placed it carefully in
her car. In its place stood a shiny new
bronze marker showing his new Medal
of Honor and many of his other medals,
including the Purple Heart.
“It is still in my car,” she said nearly
three months later of the marker. “I just
can’t bear to take it out. But my husband
is going to place it in our garden and put
a bench there.”
Her father, Ardie Ray Copas of Fort Pierce, died in Cambodia
on May 12, 1970, when he was just 19 years old, leaving behind
his 6-month-old infant daughter, Shyrell, and her mother,
17-year-old Betsy Copas, now Betsy Cintonz.
He was born in Sullivan County, Tenn., and moved with his
parents, Challie and Lillian Copas, to Fort Pierce when he was
about two years old. He went to Lawnwood Elementary and
Dan McCarty High School.
“I never knew my daddy,” Shyrell, 45, says. “But people have
told me he loved wrestling alligators. He and his friends would
go to the canals and find small alligators. He had a good sense
of humor and one of the stories I’ve heard a lot is that whenever
he wanted to annoy my mother or tease her, he’d grind his
teeth. She couldn’t stand that. It was like scraping your nails on
the blackboard to her.
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THE MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
Spc. 4 Ardie R. Copas will receive the Medal of Honor
posthumously for his courageous actions while serving as a
Machinegunner in Company C, 1st Battalion (Mechanized),
5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during combat
operations against an armed enemy near Ph Romeas Hek,
Cambodia on May 12, 1970.
Ardie R. Copas was from Fort Pierce, Fla.
He joined the U.S. Army, June 18, 1969.
12 Port St. Lucie Magazine
CITATION
For extraordinary heroism in connection with military
operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force
in the republic of Vietnam: Spc.4 Ardie R. Copas distinguished
himself while serving as a machine-gunner aboard
an armored personnel carrier during operations near Ph
Romeas Hek, Cambodia.
In the early morning hours of May 12, 1970, Copas’
company was suddenly attacked by a large hostile force
firing recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, and
automatic weapons. After Copas began returning fire, his
armored car was struck by an enemy recoilless round,
knocking him to the ground and injuring four American
Soldiers beside the vehicle. Ignoring his own wounds,
Copas quickly remounted the burning vehicle and commenced
firing his machine-gun at the belligerents. Braving
the hostile fire directed at him, and the possible detonation
of the mortar rounds inside the track, Copas maintained
a heavy volume of suppressive fire on the foe while the
wounded Americans were safely evacuated. Undaunted,
he continued to place devastating volleys of fire upon the
adversary until he was mortally wounded when another
enemy round hit his vehicle.
His daring action resulted in the safe evacuation of his
comrades and prevented injury or death to fellow Americans.
Copas’ extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty,
at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions
of the military service and reflect great credit upon
himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Copas received the
Distinguished Service Cross (this award will be upgraded
to the Medal of Honor on Mar. 18), Bronze Star Medal
with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Army
Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal,
Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars,
Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Marksmanship Badge
with Auto Rifle Bar, Republic of Vietnam Military Merit
Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Device, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with “60”
Device, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
with Palm Device, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor
Medal Unit Citation, First Class.
U.S.ARMY
Ardie Copas and a
friend hold up a young
alligator they caught.
U.S. ARMY
Copas joined the Army in June 1969 and died 11 months later during an
ambush in Cambodia.