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Gerald Coffee
Keynote Fee : $20,000 and up plus expenses Fee Note Travels From: HI |
Topics
- Change
- Communications
- Ethics / Values
- Leadership
- Teambuilding
- Motivation / Inspiration
Formats
- Keynote
Products
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Programs
Beyond Survival"Beyond Survival" is a journey into the invincible human spirit that unites heart and mind in a compelling and unforgettable experience. Drawing from his seven years as a POW, Captain Coffee provides timeless lessons that apply to the physical, emotional, and ethical challenges of everyday life. Proving that leadership and creativity are possible in difficult and uncertain circumstances, Captain Coffee offers a message we can draw on in any trying situation. His story demonstrates that conviction must come from within, and in telling that story he touches the place inside of us where growth begins.
Speaker Information
When life loses its meaning, when suddenly the world is turned upside down, when there's nothing left that resembles life as we've known it, where do we find the strength and sustenance to go on? For naval aviator Captain Gerald Coffee and others who were held as prisoners of war in North Vietnam, there was only one choice: to go within.
A native of Modesto, California, Coffee joined the Navy in 1957 after graduating from UCLA with a degree in commercial art. An F-8 Crusader pilot flying during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Coffee quickly differentiated himself by earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying low level reconnaissance missions over Cuba. He took the photos ultimately used by the United States United Nations ambassador to prove the existence of Soviet missiles there.
But in February of 1966, while flying combat missions over North Vietnam, Coffee's RA5-C reconnaissance jet was downed by enemy fire. While he was able to parachute to safety, his capture was immediate. For the next seven years, Coffee was held as a Prisoner of War in the Communist prisons of North Vietnam. It was during that seven years that Coffee, along with the other POWs, learned about love and commitment in the midst of war and division.
Facing the cold reality of war, degradation, and torture, Coffee rediscovered the warmth of human connections, inner serenity, and kinship with all of life. He learned that to be stripped of everything that is familiar and by which he identified himself left him with only what united him with others: his human identity. But most importantly, he realized the truth about relationships at every level: with himself, with others, with his country, and with God.
Following his repatriation in February of 1973, Coffee returned to his operation duties. After completing 28 years of service, Coffee retired from the Navy in 1985. His military decorations include the Silver Star, two Awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnam Service Medal with 13 stars. He is also the recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal, presented by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.
A highly respected commentator on current political, economic, and social issues, Captain Coffee sees most problems in terms of opportunities yet to be seized by heroic leadership. He has appeared twice on "Larry King Live," "Talk Back Live," NBC News, and numerous radio and television talk shows. His book, Beyond Survival: Building On Hard Times, condensed by Reader's Digest, was made into the award-winning play, "The Prisoner."
For the past 20 years, Captain Coffee has also been considered one of the nation's top speakers, addressing thousands of people a year across a broad spectrum of corporate America as well as international groups. In his talk "Beyond Survival," Captain Coffee gives a moving account of his incredible experience from capture to ultimate release. His faith - in himself, others, his country, and his God - was the key to turning an unbelievably difficult and potential devastating experience into an opportunity for personal growth. He draws not only from insights derived from the prison experience, but also from the perspective of his unique experiences since then: earning a masters degree in political science from Cal-Berkeley, studying at the prestigious National Defense University in Washington, D.C., Navy command and staff assignments, and his continuing interaction with hundreds of America's corporations and associations as a professional speaker.
In a poll of corporate meeting planners, Captain Coffee was selected as one of America's Top Ten Speakers. And, the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table selected him as one of its top twelve most popular, highest-rated, main platform speakers for the past 20 years. He holds the National Speaker's Association's highest rating of CSP and membership in the Speaker's Hall of Fame.
Captain Gerald Coffee is an inspiring example of the power of the human spirit to survive and triumph over the most adverse circumstances. His inspiring story conveys a positive message that we each have the potential to survive any ordeal, overcome any obstacle, achieve any goal. He and his wife make their home on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Their lanai overlooks Pearl Harbor and is directly across from Camp Smith, where a giant American flag dedicated to America's POWs and MIAs continually waves.
Testimonials
"I have been with the Association for 20 years, and I have never seen a speaker have the full undivided attention of the audience for their entire presentation. You have been our most dynamic speaker to date."
- American Optometric Assn.
"Your presentation captured the hearts of all 2,000 EAPA members. You certainly made us look good. Your message is not only for the moment, but for the long haul."
- Employee Assistance Professional Association, Inc.