Joseph John Cochran – Sergeant, United States Army

From a contemporary press report:

Joseph J. Cochran, 72, retired chief of publications at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, died June 15, 1998at Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington after a heart attack.

Mr. Cochran, who lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, was a native of New Jersey. He served in the Army as an infantryman during World War II and was severely wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. His military decorations included the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

After his discharge from the Army, he worked briefly as mail room handler and clerk for the Adjutant General’s Office in Washington, then became an editor with the Army Criminal Investigations Command.

In retirement, Mr. Cochran volunteered for veterans groups and other organizations. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its honor society, the Military Order of the Cootie. He served as MOC Maryland Grand Commander and was voted MOC Man of the Year in 1996. He received many state and national awards, including the Outstanding Performance Award for coordinating volunteer efforts at Veterans Administration medical centers. He also served as a volunteer reader for the Washington Ear, a closed-circuit radio reading service for the blind.

He was a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks and Loyal Order of the Moose.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Myfanwy Bowden Cochran of Silver Spring; four daughters, Kathleen Cochran and Jacquelyn Cochran Bokow, both of Chevy Chase, Patricia Cochran of Washington and Caryn Cochran of Fort Washington; two sisters; a brother; and a granddaughter.

COCHRAN, JOSEPH JOHN

On Monday, June 15, 1998, JOSEPH J. COCHRAN, of Silver Spring, Md. Beloved husband of Myfanwy B. Cochran; father of Kathleen D. Cochran, Jacquelyn C. Bokow, Patricia R. Cochran, and Caryn J. Cochran; grandfather of Caroline L. Frawley; brother of Ida Amole, Sheila Utrup, and Charles Cochran. Interment Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard