Cochran, Harlen E.

1923 - 1987  (63 years)

• Name	Cochran, Harlen E.
  Birth	12 Nov 1923	Iola, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Sailor Springs Village (Pixley Township), Illinois, page 02a 1940 United States Federal Census, Sailor Springs Village, Illinois, (District 13-17) (Pixley Township), image 04, page 02a
  Reference Number	COCH.H002
  _FGRAVE	18119442
  Military Service	World War II, Private First Class, 48th Fighter Group, 9th United States Army Air Forces  [4, 5]
  	Entered active service in the Air Corps as a draftee on January 18, 1943 at Camp Grant, Illinois. Completed basic training and qualified in the military occupational specialty of Heavy Truck Driver (931). Departed the U.S. on November 17, 1943 bound for the European Theater of Operations. Assigned to unknown units until reassigned to the 48th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, when they were engaged in the Central Europe Campaign. Earned the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 bronze battle star and the WWII Victory Medal. Honorably discharged as a Private 1st Class on April 11, 1946 at the Separation Center, Camp Grant, Illinois. This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2000963 NOTES from Carl W. Gray: Harlen was discharged on April 11, 1946. The US Army Air Corps and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) were subordinate to the US Army from 20 June 1941- 17 September 1947. The United State Air Force became a separate military branch on 19 September 1947 (after his discharge)
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		United States Army Air Forces (1941–1947)
  		United States Army Air Forces
  		Private First Class, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Military Service Ribbons, Harlen E. Cochran (1923-1987) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		Harlen E. Cochran (1923-1987)
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, United States
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Camp Grant, Illinois
  		European Theater of World War II
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		World War II Honoree, Cochran, Harlen E. (1923-1987)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 08 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  Death	6 Aug 1987	Veterans Administration Hospital, Danville, Vermillion County, Illinois   [2, 3]
  Burial	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [2, 3, 5]
  		Headstone, Cochran, Harlen E. and Eileen
  Person ID	I6542	Carl Wayne Gray Research
  Last Modified	20 Jul 2023

  
  

  Father	Cochran, Thomas D.,   b. 1872   d. 1959 (Age 87 years)
  Mother	Davis, Mary Josephine 'Josie',   b. 2 Jul 1899, Illinois d. 19 Oct 1962 (Age 63 years)
  Family ID	F3455	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lister, Myrtle Eileen,   b. 1 Jan 1938, Sailor Springs, Clay County, Illinois d. 17 May 2011, Good Samaritan Hospital, Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana (Age 73 years)
  Marriage	26 Jul 1962	Louisville, Clay County, Illinois   [2, 3, 6, 7]
  Age at Marriage	He : 38 years and 8 months - She : 24 years and 6 months.
  Children	> 1. Cochran, Gary W. + 2. Cochran, Barbara J. > 3. Cochran, Connie > 4. Cochran, Kathy + 5. Cochran, Brenda Kay 'Mamma Lou',   b. 31 Jul 1962, Flora, Clay County, Illinois d. 6 Oct 2025, Robinson, Crawford County, Illinois (Age 63 years) + 6. Cochran, Robert David 'Rob',   b. 7 Jun 1968, Flora, Clay County, Illinois d. 8 Jul 2016, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois (Age 48 years)
  Family ID	F576	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 12 Nov 1923 - Iola, Clay County, Illinois Marriage - 26 Jul 1962 - Louisville, Clay County, Illinois Burial - - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Harlen Cochran of Sailor Springs, IL died at the VA Hospital in Danville, IL. He was born in Iola, the son of Thomas & Josephine Davis Cochran. He married Eileen Lister July 26, 1962, in Louisville. He was a member of the Sailor Springs Christian Church and the Sailor Springs American Legion. Survivors include his wife, two sons, Robert & Gary; two daughters, Brenda Pate & Barbara Cochran; a brother, Everett Cochran; three sisters, Della Arnold, Mae James, and Louise Parrott; and two grandchildren. Services will be at Hosselton-Bookhout-Engelmeier Funeral Home in Clay City with Larry Schnautz presiding. Burial was in the Clay City Cemetery with full military rites. (Published Olney Daily Mail)

  
  

• Sources

  [S2270] Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census, Sailor Springs, Illinois, (District 13-17) (Pixley Township), image 04, page 2a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00432?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 2). [S2313] https//www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Cochran, Harlen, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18119442/harlen-e-cochran) (Reliability: 2). [S2312] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Cochran, Harlen E. and Eileen, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18119442/harlen-e-cochran) (Reliability: 2). [S14734] World War II Honoree, Harlen E. Cochran, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2000963) (Reliability: 2). [S2314] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Cochran, Harlen E., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18119442/harlen-e-cochran) (Reliability: 2). [S3890] http://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Lister, Myrtle Nellie, (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18377590), none. (Reliability: 2). [S15606] https://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Lister, David Leon, 72, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/249274958/david-leon-lister), none. (Reliability: 2).