Coggin, Chester O. (1918 - 1943): Carl Wayne Gray Genealogies

1918 - 1943 (24 years)

Name	Coggin, Chester O.
Birth	30 Jun 1918 [1]
Gender	Male
Reference Number	COGG.C002
_FGRAVE	33974913
Military Service	World War II, Corporal, 321st Army Air Forces Squadron, 90th Bomb Group, United States Army Air Forces [2, 3]
	Corporal, B-24 Liberator, 321st Squadron (Bombs Away), 90th Bomb Group 'Jolly Rogers', 5th Air Force, serving in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Member of Henry Chovanec crew. Killed in Action, April 30, 1943. His plane crashed during a supply drop near the Negifi Village area. Awarded the purple heart. Source: https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2415052 Inducted on February 3, 1942. Trained as an aerial photographer and assigned to the 361st Bomb Squadron, 90th Bomb Group flying B-24 Liberator heavy bombers. Departed the Continental U.S. on September 4, 1942 bound for Hawaii for additional training and then on to Australia and New Guinea, where his unit joined the 5th Air Force operating in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Corporal Coggin was killed in action during a combat mission on April 30, 1943. Earned The Purple Heart Medal and was otherwise eligible posthumously for The American Campaign Medal, The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. Honored at the WWII Memorial in Flora, Illinois. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1899836 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.
		World War II Honoree, Coggin, Chester O. (1918-1943)
		Chester O. Coggin (1918-1943)
		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 Casualties, Clay County Illinois
		United States of America Flag, 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,…
		United States Army Air Forces
		United States Army Air Forces
		Corporal, United States Army and United States Army Air Forces (Sep 1942-Aug 1948)
		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
		Military Service Ribbons, Coggin, Chester O. (1918-1943) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States Military
		American Campaign Medal, United States
		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
		World War II (1939-1945)
Death	30 Apr 1943 [1, 4]
	Cause: Killed in Action
		B-24D-53-CO Liberator Serial Number 42-40352
Burial	Elmwood Cemetery, Flora, Clay County, Illinois [1]
		Headstone, Coggin, Chester O.
		Headstone, Coggin, Chester O. Displayed with permission of Ewood Sexton
Person ID	I42972	Carl Wayne Gray Research
Last Modified	16 Oct 2023

Father	Coggin, Odell Henry, b. 1889 d. 1969 (Age 80 years)
Mother	Etter, Clara A., b. 1893 d. 1968 (Age 75 years)
Family ID	F18149	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Sources

[S13293] http://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Coggin, Chester O., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33974913/chester-o_-coggin) (Reliability: 2).
[S15404] Robert Medley Gatewood, Brochure, Flora, Illinois, World War II Veterans Memorial, page #4, (https://genealogy.carlwgray.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=18791) (Reliability: 2).
[S13274] https://www.wwiimemorial.com/, World War II Honoree, Chester O. Coggin, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1899836) (Reliability: 2).
[S14682] https://www.wwiimemorial.com/, National Archives & Records Administration War Department Files, CPL Chester O. Coggin, (https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_wardept.aspx?honoreeID=1040603) (Reliability: 2).