"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of White House Police Private Leslie Coffelt

On November 1, 1950, White House Police Private Leslie Coffelt sacrificed his life while preventing an attack on President Harry Truman by two Puerto Rican nationalists.

While House Police Private Leslie Coffelt

McLean, VA (November 25, 2025) - On the afternoon of November 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists seeking independence for their island from U.S. control, launched an attack on Blair House where President Truman was living while the White House was under renovation. Their goal was to either kidnap or assassinate the President to draw international attention to their cause. Standing guard was Private Leslie Coffelt, a 40-year-old officer of the White House Police (later renamed the Uniformed Division of the U.S. Secret Service). As the attackers opened fire, Private Coffelt was struck three times and mortally wounded. Yet in those final moments, he summoned the strength to return fire. With a single, precise shot to the head from 31 feet away, he killed one of the assailants, ending the assault and protecting the President. Two other members of the White House Police, Donald Birdzell and Joseph Downs, were also wounded in the incident, but both survived. Later, when honoring Private Coffelt with a plaque at Blair House, President Truman called him “one of the most pleasant officers on the force—and one of the ablest.”

Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-d5d