Local Road Has New, Old Name

A Frankfort native, decorated Coast Guard officer and World War II military hero now has a local road named in his honor.

Airport Access Road, which leads to Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, is now also known as Jack Coppens Drive. Until the new terminal opened in 2004, this road was the only way to access Cherry Capital Airport. Now the road services private air service operations in addition to the Coast Guard station, as well as other businesses between Parsons Road and U.S. 31.

Stan Simons, chair of the Traverse City Coast Guard City Committee, submitted a request to the City in January to rename Airport Access Road in the Coast Guard member’s honor following a suggestion by one of its own, Captain Sean Cross of Air Station Traverse City.

Cross, who serves as a non-voting member of the committee, proposed the idea as part of the renewal process for Traverse City’s “Coast Guard City” designation.

“[Coppens] was part of one of the most significant events in Coast Guard history,” says Cross.

John “Jack” Coppens, of Charlevoix, passed away in March 2014 at the age of 94. Born at the Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort in 1919 and brought up in lifesaving service, he enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1937 and was assigned to Beaver Island before serving in World War II.

Coppens was a veteran of the Battle of Guadalcanal, where he helped land the first Marines to go ashore with orders to destroy Japanese sniper activity but ended up rescuing hundreds of Marines under serious attack – along with fellow Coast Guardsman Douglas A. Munro, who was mortally wounded and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. For his extraordinary effort, Coppens received the Navy Commendation Medal.

Following his war service, he returned to the Coast Guard and was later officer in charge of numerous stations in the Great Lakes.

Some locals may also remember Coppens for his heroic service aboard USCGC Sundew in the rescue of the only two survivors of the limestone freighter Carl D. Bradley, which broke in two during a Lake Michigan storm in 1958 and sank near Gull Island.

He concluded his Coast Guard service as commanding officer of the Naugatuck in Sault Ste. Marie before retiring in 1967 as Chief Warrant Officer.

Following review by the airport commission (which owns the road south of Parsons) and the City (which owns it north to U.S. 31), the decision was to keep Airport Access the official name and include Jack Coppens Drive as a dual/secondary name. Designating it as a secondary name means businesses on Airport Access will not have to change their addresses, saving a costly expense.
Simons, however, says the committee believes that eventually the road would become identified as only Jack Coppens Drive.

The Coast Guard officials are proud of the re-naming, even if it was somewhat of a compromise. Speaking of Mr. Coppens' service and legacy, Captain Cross says simply, "He's a U.S. Coast Guard hero and was a Great Lakes Guardian."

Coppens is survived by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the area.