Robert Cochran

          On February sixth, 1921 in Vincennes, Indiana, a solider was born. His name was Robert Cochran. This solider stayed at his “home” base for most of his whole childhood. Even as a young boy, Robert was a hard worker; he took on tough tasks given to him, and on the weekends he worked twelve hours a day. With his hard earned money he took his brother and sister to the movies. He and his brother were planning on ditching their sister in the bathroom but they couldn’t.

          Robert feared the thought of going to war, but in January 1942 the thought became a reality because of the draft. He was trained at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Robert was put in charge of driving trucks full of supplies and ammunition to camps, while having the danger of getting shot.

          Even though he didn’t want to serve, he entered as a private and achieved the rank First Class Private and Technician Fifth Grade. Being a Technician not only gave him privileges, but also a higher salary, the same amount as a Corporal’s! He did this high paying job until he retired.

          While fighting to liberate a Japanese held island, Robert just happened to be watching several other men working on a Japanese truck, when one of the men accidentally triggered a Japanese booby trap. A massive explosion instantly blew the truck to pieces. Burning gasoline sprayed everywhere; some of it caught Roberts’s legs on fire. Thankfully, several of his buddies, who were nearby, quickly extinguished the flames. Though alive, Robert’s injuries had confined him to a hospital bed for some time.

          After serving he said, “Nothing made him proud of the service. Nothing.”  Robert also realized that one of the worst parts of serving were the Dear John Letters. These letters were sent to cheer up the soldiers. Instead, it caused some men to be depressed and commit suicide after hearing of some of the affairs.

          In February of 1946, Robert returned to the states after serving his country. As soon as he was in Vincennes, he started looking for a job. A gentleman he worked for, when he was younger, employed him to drive trucks filled with supplies, just like his old job! While returning home, Robert was informed that is brother sold their childhood home. His other brother let him live with him. Robert met a lady named Norma Rose Schultz and married her on June twenty-fifth, 1995.