Coleman Luck is a Hollywood writer/executive producer known for such television series as The Equalizer, which starred Edward Woodward, and Gabriel’s Fire, which starred James Earl Jones. A native of Wheaton, Illinois, Coleman is a Life Member of the Writers Guild of America, West. He is also a mentalist and a past member of the Academy of Magical Arts at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Angel Fall, his first novel, was published in 2009. His second, The Singing Place, was published a few years later.
He is also the author of four non-fiction books: Day of the Wolf: Unmasking and Confronting Wolves in the Church, The Curse of Conservatism, Gateway to Hell: Vietnam 1968 – Thoughts and Experiences of an Infantry Soldier and Proof of Heaven? A Mental Illusionist Examines the Afterlife Experience of Eben Alexander, M.D. from a Biblical Viewpoint. All of Coleman’s books are available on Amazon.
Coleman lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California with his wife of 54 years, Carel Gage Luck, a fine artist. They have three adult children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Coleman is a decorated combat veteran. In 1968, as a U. S. Army infantry First Lieutenant, he led a rifle platoon with the Mobile Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. His personal awards and decorations include two Bronze Stars, one for valor and one for meritorious service in a combat zone, three Army Commendation medals, all for valor, the Air Medal for combat assaults by helicopter and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
The Burning Zone 
Cole, John Shea here. 1Lt Shea, August, Sept, Oct 68. With you 4/39. I’m at John@sheanetwork.com
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John, I can’t believe it. It is so good to hear from you.
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Thank you, I served in the 92 mp ,300th mp co., Oct 68, in Saigon during Tet, wounded Mar 30 1968′ with the 9th INF. makong delta, 148 th plt. You sir have helped me by reading this, God Bless you. Welcome Home.
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So glad you made it home, my friend. Blessings on you as well.
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I served with Charlie Company, 4/39th from April 1967 until February 1968. I was wounded Valentine’s Day 1968 – the Valentine’s Day massacre. Our CO was Capt Armon DeDescare.
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Great to hear from you, Patrick. Glad you made it home alive.
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I was also in Vietnam for 1968. I was a USAF C-7 Caribou pilot out of Cam Ranh Bay. We flew quite a few missions for the 9th, mostly between Bearcat and Dong Tam or Tan An. I’m an avid reader and for the past two years or so, have been reading about the air war in SEA. Virtually all of my pilot training classmates were involved, and this has helped me fill in the background.
Looking for my next book to read on my Nook, I saw “Gateway to Hell- Vietnam 1968.” Most of the work we did was for the Army, especially the Special Forces, so I thought I would download it. Although not quite finished with my previous book, I started reading it. I never put it down until I was finished. There were tears in my eyes most of the time I was reading. I totally agree with every point you made in the book. You had to be there to understand. To me, war brought out the very best, or the very worst of an individual. Very little middle ground. I was 26/27 at the time, and looking back, it was the most challenging, exciting, frightening, and rewarding year of my life. Thank you for writing it.
I was a fan of “The Equalizer” and today the full DVD collection is arriving. Looking forward to seeing it.
Thanks again.
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Don, thanks so much for reading and writing your thoughts. Deeply appreciated. As you can see from the reviews on Amazon, there are quite a number of people who hated what I wrote. Even after all these years, I suppose that’s to be expected about such a raw subject. Like Vietnam, I consider The Equalizer one of God’s great gifts to me. It was so difficult to do for a number of reasons, but it was by far the most rewarding experience I had during my decades in Hollywood. Thanks for watching. If you can get past the ancient technology, glasses and women’s hairstyles, for an old show it seems to hold up fairly well. Knowing Hollywood as I do, I’m certain of one thing. Never again will you see a series like it. Thanks for your service to all of us in Vietnam. I flew several times in Caribous. In one of those things you really got the visceral sense that you were “in the air”. Hey, keep my email in your file. colemanluck@gmail.com
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Coleman, I think we had it easy compared to our fathers that were in World War II and never talked about it. You might want to read: http://www.alfredthebook.com Thanks, Craig
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In Hackworth’s book About Face, he writes that the Infantrymen in the Mekong Delta served in the most hostile environment of any of our fighting men.
Saw a jump school pal of mine make two jumps from a Caribou over Dong Tam to qualify as Division Pathfinder. He got the job ahead of me. I got a rifle platoon.
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They just knew you were a grunt at heart, John.
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Hi Coleman, I am a Christian and an indie filmmaker and love the business. Got my start at a Christian TV station in Chicago in the mail room after graduating from Columbia college. It has been an up hill climb, but God i faithful as he refines this broken vessel. I was given your book, “Day Of The Wolf” and presently am reading it. I can relate to things you have shared about wolves in the church, and also in the business that have been a painful eye opening experience. But all these come to refine myself. Would love to speak with you via email sometime and ask some questions about your background and hear more of how you overcame the wolves. Thank you, Don Albert
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Hi Don, sure, I’d be happy to answer any questions I can. My email is colemanluck@gmail.com
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Coleman,
This is Bill Guenther, still alive and well in South Carolina, along with my wife of 42 years, Nancy. Retired for now. Who knows the future? If you ever come this way, would love to see you and Carel.
Bill
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Great to hear from you, old friend. Email me: colemanluck@gmail.com
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Thanks Coleman for your insight and honesty. Blessings
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Mr. Coleman
I came across your website today, noticed your Veteran’s Day posting, and ordered your book about Vietnam. I’m grateful they honored you in that chapel service. My older brother Dave (I still think of him as my big brother) was one of your service brothers. If I recall correctly, he was in country from 1969 to 1972.
He didn’t do well when he came back. His drug use was surpassed only by his drinking, was divorced a handful of years later, and often displayed a rage that was frightening. In those days, America was still trying to move on from the war by corporate forgetfulness. We, his family, didn’t link his behavior to the war until years later when my brother-in-law read an article describing similar aberrant behaviors common to Vietnam veterans.
“Hey, this sounds like Dave.” He told my sister.
In the late 1980s, he told me that within a week or two after getting home; he was in a bar having a beer and mentioned that he just returned from Vietnam. Several of the patrons began calling him a baby killer. A fight ensued and they beat him up so badly he spent three weeks in the hospital. It was the first time he told any of us about it.
During a visit in 1996, he was showing me his new deer rifle and scope when he made some comment about the scope on his sniper rifle when he was in Vietnam. I turned and looked at him and said,
“You never told me you were a sniper.”
I’ll never forget that look of being caught on his face. It had just slipped out. With deep somberness, he replied,
“I’ve never told anyone that I was a sniper.”
In 2004, he called and told me he had just started seeing a counselor who specialized in helping Vietnam vets having served there himself. Dave told me it took a while to open up, telling the counselor he didn’t want to talk about it, but he eventually did. There was a noticeable change in him after that. He began to heal. He reached out to and connected with many of those men from his unit and slowly made peace with himself, even displaying honor that he had served. This, however, was after several marriages, acquiring liver disease from drinking and hepatitis C, and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Fortunately, he got full military disability pay and benefits.
The great news is that in the earlier 1990s, he called me up in the middle of the night and told me he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. It shocked me into silence after praying for him over a decade with almost no hope of results.
He went to be with Jesus two years ago. He passed scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally, but those are now redeemed. I really miss him, but know I’ll see him again.
Patrick Rhodes
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I’m so sorry, but praise God he is a child of our Savior and he is healed. What a day it will be when we are all together in the Kingdom. Blessings on you and your family.
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Thanks for sharing that. It came close to my own experience, thanking God daily for lighting a new path.
Sent from my iPad
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Your father was my father’s favorite teacher at Moody. He went on to be a pastor/missionary for over 50 years in Salt Lake. I remember him being sad when he heard of your father’s passing. A few years later I went to Moody and had your brother as a prof. He wasn’t my favorite, but he was up there. I’d always heard you were a Hollywood and finally took the time to reach out. I’ve appreciated your family’s work gif years. God bless.
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Thanks so much for making contact. You might enjoy what we are doing on YouTube. Our channel is Thorncrown Studios.
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