March 2019: Victoria Outlaw-Coone
US Marine Corps, 1981-1987

Born and raised in Alabama, by the age of seventeen Vickie knew she wanted to leave Alabama and felt that joining the Army would provide that opportunity. However, once she arrived at the recruitment center and saw the Marine recruiter in his dress blues, she chose the Marine Corps instead! Underage and still in high school, she signed up under the delayed enlistment program with the approval of her mother.

After boot camp at Parris Island, she was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina, for three years. She reenlisted for another three and was transferred to Millington Naval Air Station where she worked as an administrative clerk and was promoted to Sergeant. At the end of her second enlistment, she had a difficult decision to make: she could continue her career in the Marine Corps, or she could get out to raise her infant son.
She chose her son and never looked back. It was definitely the right decision. He grew up to earn his Doctorate Degree in Theology and is now Pastor of Redeemer Baptist Church in Memphis.

For her service to our country, Vickie was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Meritorious Mast, and Letter of Appreciation. Vickie is proud ofthe fact that four out of five of her promotions were meritorious. After her honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, she sold real estate for a year, then went to work for World Color in the traffic department when it opened in Covington in 1989. Seven years later, she started a new career managing the Memphis terminal for Cargo Master, a freight brokerage company. She yearned to own her own business, so in 2005 she opened Outlaw’s Furniture & Mattress in Atoka. Her business was so successful that she opened her second store last year, Victoria’s Furniture Gallery in Memphis.

During her training at Parris Island, she met a special fellow Marine, Teddy Coone. They dated for a year but ultimately split because they were both pursuing careers in the Marine Corps. Many years later they found each other on Facebook; and on April 6, 2013, they were married. Teddy has a full time job onboard Naval Support Activity Mid-South in Millington and works at the furniture store as well. Vickie’s son Jeremy is married to Alicia; they live in Memphis and have four children: Gabriel, 9; Luke, 7; and two-year-old twins Amia and Aleigh. Vickie and Teddy are members of the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association and the Marine Corps League. Vickie was nominated for Veteran of the Month by H.T. Ray.