bigpigeon.us webpage WWII Roster > Roster Records > Roster Cn-Cz, © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, last update 24 Aug 2023.
Part 5/24 of Big Pigeon's Pottawattamie Area World War II Dead Roster, 25 "Cn-Cz" names.
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† Coad, Ernest Dyer, SN 39-147-004, US Army, Douglas Co., NE & Alameda Co., CA
  • b. 21 Jun 1913 Omaha; s/o John F. Coad Jr. (d. 1941) & Helen I. Dyer (d. 1928) of Co. Bluffs; m. Elizabeth R. Tinley of Co. Bluffs 1936, three daughters; enlisted 20 Jan 1944 from Alameda Co., CA; bur. St. Joseph Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • unknown unit, First Army (assigned to First Army one day before death); KIA 22 Nov 1944, near Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; The ETO >  War of Attrition > Rhineland 1944.

​† Cocklin, Harold John, SN 19-000-746, US Army Air Force, Cass Co. & Alameda Co., CA (St. Paul's)
  • b. 10 May 1917 Griswold, Cass Co.; s/o Elmer F. Cocklin & Anna Gustason; family moved to Lincoln, NE in 1920s & to Beltrami Co., MN in 1930s; Harold moved to Alameda Co., CA with brother's family in late 1930s; entered service 12 Nov 1940 in San Francisco, service credited to Alameda Co.; bur. Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
  • 34th Pursuit Sqdn., 24th Pursuit Gp.; POW; DNB 29 Apr 1942 Camp O'Donnell, Tarlac Province, Central Luzon, Philippines; Japan Lashes Out > Philippines Lost.

† Cody, Claude LeRoy, SN 648-05-90, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 9 Feb 1920 Glenwood, Mills Co.; s/o Edward L. Cody & Bessie Cogley of Glenwood & Co. Bluffs; m. Darlene Agnes Crawford of Tama, Tama Co. 1943; entered service 18 Dec 1941 from Co. Bluffs.
  • Cruiser USS Houston (CL-81), Task Force 38; KIA 14 Oct 1944 off Formosa; Houston hit by Japanese aerial torpedoes on 14 & 16 Oct; 55 died, 937 survived; Houston stayed afloat and was towed to the US Naval base in Ulithi; Formosa Air Battle - Naval War with Japan > Third & Fifth Fleets; BNR.
  • Notes: The earlier cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) was lost in the Dutch Indies in 1942. Claude Cody had survived the sinking of the USS Helena in July 1943.

† Cohen, Irving, SN 0-771-221, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 12 Jul 1921 Co. Bluffs; s/o Harry Cohen & Anna Segel; entered service Feb 1942 from Co. Bluffs.
  • 728 Bomb. Sqdn; 452 Bomb. Gp., Eighth Air Force, based at Deopham Green, Norfolk, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-97534 pilot; KIA on his first mission 25 Nov 1944 over Harren, N of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; plane exploded in mid-air after direct flak hit, seven crew dead, two POW; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.

† Cohrs, William Stanley “Dick”, SN 37-733-662, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 26 Mar 1917 Co. Bluffs; s/o William P. Cohrs (d. 1928) & Mabel Scherner of Underwood & Co. Bluffs, ss/o Marion Stewart; m. Lucille L. Bridges, three daughters; entered service 5 Jul 1944 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Cedar Lawn Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 184th Inf. Regt., 7th Inf. Div.; KIA 5 Apr 1945, Okinawa, Ryukyu Is., Japan; Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Battle of Okinawa.

† Collett, Albert Henry, SN 6-580-825, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co. & Los Angeles Co., CA
  • b. 27 Jul 1911 Moniteau Co., MO; s/o George A. Collett & Edna P. Niehaus (div.); family moved to Co. Bluffs bef 1915; moved to Los Angeles Co., CA in late 1930s; entered service bef. 1940; bur. St. Paul’s Cem., Dumfries, Pott. Co.
  • 93rd Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp., Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines; POW Philippines 1942; DNB 20 May 1942, POW camp, Luzon, Philippines, declared dead 8 May 1944; Japan Lashes Out > The Philippines Lost.

† Collins, James Perry, SN 122-08-81, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. Jan 1901 Prescott, Adams Co.; s/o William E. Collins & Melvina Baumann (d. 1929) of SW Iowa; blacksmith in Carson, Pott. Co.; m. Ruth D. Wynn 1923, one child; entered service 31 Dec 1941 from Carson.
  • Q-ship USS Atik (AK-101); KIA 27 Mar 1942 off North Carolina; Atik sunk by German submarine U-123, 141 dead, no survivors; Battle of the Atlantic; BNR.

† Colwell, Carl Layne, SN 648-73-84, US Navy, Pott. Co.
  • b. 11 Nov 1923 Carson, Pott. Co.; s/o Carl L. Colwell & Velma M. Robinson of Carson & Co. Bluffs; entered service 18 Nov 1942 from Co. Bluffs.
  • Minesweeper YMS-19; KIA 24 Sep 1944, off Anguar, Palau Is., E of the Philippines, Central Pacific; YMS-19 sunk by mine; nine dead, 27 survivors; Battle of Anguar - Central Pacific > Palau Islands; BNR.

† Comley, George M. K., SN 20-705-562, US Army, Montgomery Co.
  • b. 25 Jul 1915 Houston, Harris Co., TX; s/o Frank E. Comley (d. 1932) & Vida L. Darnold; family moved to Villisca, Montgomery Co. in early 1920s; entered service 10 Feb 1941 from Villisca; bur. Villisca Cem.
  • Co. F, 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div., II Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 9 Feb 1944 near Cassino, Lazio, Italy; First Battle of Monte Cassino - The MTO > Italy > At the Gustav Line.
  • Notes: Posthumous Silver Star.

† Connelly, Robin Gail, SN 17-122-875, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 26 Aug 1922 Co. Bluffs; s/o Leonel G. Connelly & Hildred O. Barnhouse of Co. Bluffs & Neola; entered service 18 Sep 1942 from Co. Bluffs; m. Pauline Pieper of Neola, Pott. Co. 1944; bur. Walnut Hill Cem., Co. Bluffs.
  • 20th Co., Separation Ctr., Ft. Dix, SSE of Trenton, Mercer Co., NJ; DNB 24 Dec 1945 from exposure, body found in Sanhican Creek, Trenton.

† Converse, Robert Franklin, SN 0-737-541, US Army Air Force, Douglas Co., NE
  • b. 20 Jun 1920 Co. Bluffs; s/o Frank E. Converse & Myrtle Zimmerman; m. Ruth Mattice; enlisted 28 Mar 1942 from Omaha; bur. Evergreen Cem., Red Oak, Montgomery Co.
  • 958th Two-Engine Flying Training Squadron, Hobbs Army Air Field, Lea Co., NM (despite the unit name, this squadron gave newly-commissioned pilots a nine-week course in becoming four-engine B-17 pilots); Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress #42-29990 pilot, DNB 8 Sep 1943 8 miles NE of base in plane crash, five dead.

​​† Cooper, Guy Raymond, SN 621-92-97, US Navy, Monona Co. (WWII-CooperGuyR)
  • b. 26 Oct 1925 Castana, Monona Co.; s/o Raymond C. Cooper & Merle S. Bennett; family lived in central Monona Co.; entered service 14 Jul 1943 from Castana; bur. Onawa Cem.
  • Navy corpsman assigned to Hq., 26th Marine Regt., 5th Marine Div.; DOW 6 Mar 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan; Iwo Jima & Okinawa > Iwo Jima.

† Copeland, Donald Walter, SN 0-700-865, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 17 Sep 1921 Newcastle, Weston Co., WY; s/o Wayne H. Copeland & Mabel Norgaard of Co. Bluffs; entered service 21 Jan 1943 from Co. Bluffs.
  • 313 Troop Carrier Sqdn., 349th Troop Carrier Gp., Ninth Air Force; based at Pope Army Air Field, Ft. Bragg, NC; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota #42-100712 pilot; DNB Jul 1944 25 miles SE of Cape Fear, SC; three aircraft from a flight of 54 disappeared in storm during training mission, all fifteen dead; BNR.

† Cox, Kenneth A., SN 17-078-406, US Army Air Force, Douglas Co., NE
  • b. 11 Mar 1919 Riley, Riley Co., KS; s/o Arthur B. Cox & Ida Belle Viola Clark of Omaha; m. Phyllis R. Leamer of Co. Bluffs 1943; bur. Westlawn-Hillcrest Cem., Omaha.
  • 16th Combat Camera Unit, based at Kumning, China; on this mission flying with 11th Bomb. Sqdn., 341st Bomb. Gp., Fourteenth Air Force, based at Yangkai 33 M NE of  Kumning, China; North American B-25 Mitchell #_____ w/ pilot John J. Wise, co-pilot Buster P. Meadows; KIA 18 Jan 1945 Chihkiang, Hunan Province, China; after bombing Puchi railroad bridge NW of Chungking, plane overshot runway when landing at staging base at Chihkiang ~ 300 M SE of Chungking; three dead, four survivors; China-Burma-India Theater > China.

† Cox, Leslie, SN 37-197-965, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 26 Sep 1915 Yell Twp., rural Ogden, Boone Co.; s/o Frederick S. Cox (d. 1929) & Fanny McGee (d. 1926); came to Co. Bluffs ~ 1941 & lived w/ brother Fred Cox; entered service 4 Jun 1942 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Rose Hill Cem., Boone.
  • Co. K, 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Inf. Div., VI Corps, Fifth Army; KIA 26 Oct 1943, near Pietravairano, SE of Cassino & NW of Caserta, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.

† Cozine, Thomas Verne, SN 37-421-270, US Army, Audubon Co. (St. Paul's)
  • b. 16 Nov 1921 rural Audubon, Leroy Twp., Audubon Co.; s/o Verne S. Cozine & Gladys I. Fancher; family moved to Audubon town in early 1930s; m. Shirley A. Roth of Audubon 1940; entered service 20 Jun 1942 from Audubon; bur. Maple Grove Cem., Audubon.
  • 168th Inf. Regt., 34th Inf. Div.; WIA Dec 1943; DOW 15/16 Jan 1944 in hospital, Italy; The MTO > Italy > To the Gustav Line.

​† Crawford, George Almon, SN 320-36-81, US Navy, Harrison Co.
  • b. 31 Jan 1901 New Market, Taylor Co.; s/o Wilbur C. Crawford (d. 1940) & Susie Eyre (div.); ss/o William D. Arthur; b/o Gladys Knierim of rural Dunlap, Harrison Co.; pre-WW II service.​
  • ​Escort Carrier USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73); KIA 25 Oct 1944 off Samar, Philippines; Gambier Bay sunk by Japanese shells, ~147 dead; Battle off Samar - Philippines Liberated > Battle of Leyte Gulf; BNR.

† Crawford, William Frank Jr., SN 620-07-89, US Navy, Cass Co.
  • b. 28 Mar 1920 Anita, Cass Co.; s/o William F. Crawford Sr. & Daisy C. Jenkins; entered service 13 Oct 1941 from Anita.
  • Destroyer USS Barton (DD 599) ; KIA 13 Nov 1942 Ironbottom Sound, N of Guadalcanal, Solomon Is.; Barton sunk by two Japanese Long Lance torpedoes; 164 died, 68 survived; first phase of Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - South & SW Pacific > Solomons Naval War; BNR.

† Crockett, Oliver Eldon, SN 37-490-415, US Army, Pott. Co. & Gentry Co., MO
  • b. 24 Oct 1922 Gentry Co., MO; s/o Oliver M. Crockett & Stella B. Kier; raised in Gentry Co.; lived in Co. Bluffs as young adult; entered service Feb 1944 from Gentry Co.; bur. Brittany American Cem., St.-James, Normandy, France.
  • 23rd Inf. Regt., 2nd Inf. Div., VIII Corps; KIA 11 Sep 1944 near Brest, Brittany, France; Battle of Brittany - The ETO > Liberation > Brittany.

† Crook, Lyle William SN 0-1-286-445, US Army, Cerro Gordo & Montgomery Cos. 
  • b. 11 Feb 1913 rural Sheffield, Franklin Co.; s/o Frank J. Crook & Esther L. Leider; entered service 8 Feb 1941 from Mason City, Cerro Gordo Co., service credited to Montgomery Co. (no known connection); m. Mabel M. Hansen of Audubon Co. 1934, one child, div.; m. Eva Stoma 1942, one child; bur. Rhone American Cem., Draguignan, Provence, France.
  • 146th Inf. Regt., 36th Inf. Div., VI Corps, Seventh Army; KIA 28 Aug 1944 Montelimar, Drôme, Rhône-Alpes, southern France; The ETO > Liberation > Southern France.
Service Notes: Posthumous Silver Star.

† Crose, James Harvey, SN 37-470-848, US Army Air Force, Pott. Co.
  • b. 3 Sep 1923 Omaha; s/o Arthur J. Crose & Katherine A. Fisher of Omaha & Co. Bluffs; entered service 29 Jan 1943 from Co. Bluffs; bur. Manila American Cem., Luzon, Philippines.
  • 498th Bomber Sqdn., 345th Bomb. Gp., Fifth Air Force; on Liberty Ship SS Thomas Nelson; KIA 12 Nov 1944, Dulag Harbor, Leyte Gulf, Philippines; kamikaze attack, Thomas Nelson survived; 136 died of whom 133 were Army Air Force personnel; US Air Force War w/ Japan > Fifth Air Force.

​† Curry, Jack Benton, SN 98,652, US Merchant Marine, Pott. Co.
  • b. ~1917 New Mexico; s/o Arthur B. Curry (d. 1933) & Ada Montgomery (d. 1940); family moved to Omaha bef. 1920 and to Co. Bluffs bef. 1925.
  • Tanker Pan Massachusetts fireman/wiper; KIA 19 Feb 1942, off Cape Canaveral, FL; Pan Massachusetts torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-128; 20 dead, 18 survivors; Battle of the Atlantic; BNR.

† Curtis, Alton B., SN 37-692-006, US Army, Audubon Co. (St. Paul's)
  • b. 20 Mar 1909 Douglas Twp., Audubon Co.; s/o Ned Curtis & Augusta Volkman; family moved to Nebraska in the late 1920s; Alton returned to Audubon Co. in early 1930s; m. Kathryn J. Ripley 1934 in Audubon, three children; entered service 14 Mar 1944 from Audubon; bur. Lorraine American Cem., St. Avold, Lorraine, France.
  • 328th Inf. Regt., 26th Inf. Div., XII Corps, Third Army; KIA 15 Nov 1944 near Wuisse, NE of Nancy, Lorraine, France; ETO > War of Attrition > Lorraine/Alsace 1944 > Lorraine/Third Army.

† Curtis, Edwin Palmer, SN 316-72-93, US Navy, Harrison Co. (St. Paul's)
  • b. 25 Dec 1920 Missouri Valley, Harrison Co. s/o Simon P. Curtis & Eva E. Jenkins; family lived in St  Johns Twp., rural Missouri Valley, moving to Oregon in 1941; entered service 12 Dec 1940 from Rt. 2, Missouri Valley at Omaha, NE; bur. Forest View Cem., Forest Grove, Washington Co., OR.
  • previous service on heavy cruiser USS Chester (CA-27); ​d. 30 Sep 1943 Mare Island, Vallejo, Solano Co., CA; drowning.

† Cutler, Donald Lee, SN 39-603-009, US Army, Pott. Co.
  • b. 12 Nov 1917 Shenandoah, Page Co.; s/o George N. Cutler & Myrtle M. Dodge (div.) of Shenandoah & other locations; ss/o Harry C. Baxter of Co. Bluffs; enlisted 1 Oct 1941 from Big Horn Co., MT;  bur. Lorraine American Cem., St. Avold, Lorraine, France.
  • Co. E, 254th Inf. Regt., 63rd Inf. Div., Seventh Army; KIA 8 Apr 1945 near Weißbach, SW of Würzburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; The ETO > Central Europe > Central Germany.