Today, I salute Vietnam Veterans Tom Coakley and his wife, Nellie. It was August 23, 1969, during an ambush that changed the trajectory of Tom and Nellie’s lives. Tom received wounds to both arms, the groin area, and both legs, resulting in a surgical amputation of his left leg below the knee. It was those injuries that led him to the love of his life, Nellie, an army combat nurse who served in Vietnam. After finishing her tour overseas, she continued to work at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Of her many patients, Tom was one of them. The rest is history, and the two have been happily married for 53 years. Their love story was noticed by Danny Kaifetz, founder of the nonprofit American Heroes Flagpoles Foundation. Danny’s goal is to build 100 wooden flagpoles in 5 years, honoring military veterans like the Coakleys, who got their flagpole this past weekend. Thank you for sharing your love story, Tom and Nellie, and THANK YOU for your service.