Richard Tide Coiner Jr., was born in 1910 in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Lincoln High School, Portland, Ore., in 1926, after which he attended the Columbian Preparatory School in Washington and then received a Congressional appointment to the U.S. Military Academy. Upon graduation from the academy in 1932 he was awarded a regular commission as a second lieutenant of Cavalry.



His first station assignment was at Fort Bliss, Texas, with the Seventh Cavalry. In 1935 he entered Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and later was transferred to Kelly Field, Texas, for advanced pilot training. After completion of flying school, he transferred to the Air Corps and served briefly as an instructor before joining the Fifth Bomb Squadron at Mitchel Field, N.Y. In February 1939, he was transferred to Hickam Field, Hawaii, with assignment as control officer, outlying fields. In January 1941, he organized the 19th Transportation Squadron which he commanded until October of the same year when he was named assistant executive to the assistant secretary of war for air. In March 1944 he became the executive.



From March 1943 until February 1944, he was in Tampa, Fla., first as flying safety officer, Third Air Force, and later at MacDill Field as commander of the 21st Bomb Group and then the 397th Bomb Group which he led in its move to England. He flew 24 combat missions in medium bombers - the Martin B-26 Marauder - and was decorated by the U.S. Air Forces for distinguished action in combat.



He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/six campaign stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal w/Berlin Airlift Device, Medal for Humane Action, National Defense Service Medal, French Croix de Guerre w/Palm device and the Belgian Croix de Guerre w/Palm device.



He retired on 1 September 1966.