James A. Cochran, Jr.
World War II
James A. Cochran, Jr.; 37th Engineer Combat Battalion.
| Rank | Private |
|---|---|
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Service Number | 32949970 |
| Unit | 37th Engineer Combat Battalion |
| Entered the Service from | New Jersey |
| Died | June 6, 1944 |
| Buried at | Plot J Row 6 Grave 16, Normandy American Cemetery, St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
Introduction
Private James A. Cochran, Jr. was the son of James A. and Evelyn K. Cochran. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1918. By January of 1920 James Cochran, Sr., a veteran of World War I, had moved his family to a house on Highland Avenue in Center Township, N.J. Center Township was divided up in the 1920s, and the Cochran family lived in the part that became the borough of Runnemede. By 1930 James Cochran, Sr. and his brother Harry lived in adjoining houses on Clements Bridge Road in Runnemede, N.J.; they apparently had moved there around 1920. James Cochran, Sr. was supporting his family as a pipe fitter at a sugar refinery. Evelyn Cochran worked as the clerk of the Runnemede School Board.
James Cochran, Jr. was a graduate of Audubon High School. He was an active member of the Runnemede Lutheran Church. He found employment after high school as a clerk with the Runnemede Board of Education, and was active in local politics and other civic affairs. He was inducted into the Army in May of 1943.
Assigned to the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion, he trained at Camp Beale, CA. He went overseas via the Boston Port of Embarkation on October 25, 1943. The 37th arrived in England on November 1st.
James Cochran was killed in action on D-Day, June 6, 1944 during the landings in Normandy. He was survived by his mother, brothers Raymond and Norman, and his uncle, Harry Cochran, and his uncle's family.
(Cochran D-Day Death Notice)
Camden Courier-Post —
Cochran was killed in France on D-Day. He was well known in South Jersey for his church work and was a member of the Audubon Glee Club. He was a graduate of the Audubon High school and resigned as clerk of the Runnemede Board of Education to enter the army. He was an active member of the Runnemede Lutheran church, and superintendent of the Sunday school. He entered the service in May, 1943, and was in the Engineers Corps. He was active in political circles in Runnemede and all civic affairs.
He is survived by his mother who is clerk of the school board; a brother Raymond, with the Quartermaster Department in England, and a brother Norman, with the Navy in the South Pacific. His mother, Mrs. Evelyn Cochran was at Ocean City when the telegram of her son's death was received from the War Department.
The Rev. Harry Bowman, pastor of the Runnemede Lutheran church, and Cochran's uncle, Harry Cochran, went to Ocean City and informed Mrs. Cochran of her son's death.
Normandy American Cemetery
Normandy American Cemetery, 2007. Photo courtesy of Jan Van Impe.