World War II Honoree

Calvin L. Cooper

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pateros, Washington

Honored By

Lt. Col. Charles T. Borg, USA (Ret.)

Relationship

Family Friend

JOINED IN JUNE 1942 AT SPOKANE, WASHINGTON AND SHIPPED TO FORT DOUGLAS, UTAH AND THEN TO FORT HOOD, TEXAS FOR BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING. IN FALL 1943 SELECTED FOR ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM. IN SUMMER 1944 WAS TRANSFERRED TO CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI TO JOIN COMPANY B, 272ND INFANTRY REGIMENT, 69TH INFANTRY DIVISION AS A 60MM MORTAR GUNNER. ARRIVED IN ENGLAND IN DECEMBER 1944 AND SHIPPED TO LE HAVRE, FRANCE IN JANUARY 1945 FOR MOVEMENT TO COMBAT. TOOK POSITION ON THE SIEGFRIED LINE. IN LATE MARCH THE 272ND WAS FORMED INTO MOBILE TASK FORCE 272, CONSISTING OF INFANTRY, TANK , ARTILLERY AND RANGER UNITS. TASK FORCE PUSHED ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER AND EASTWARD, SEIZING ROUTES FOR THE ADVANCING V CORPS. CAPTURED LEIPZIG ON APRIL 19TH AFTER HEAVY FIGHTING AND THEN TOOK POSITIONS ALONG THE MULDE RIVER. ON APRIL 25, 1945 THE LINKUP WITH ELEMENTS OF THE SOVIET 5TH UKRAINIAN ARMY WAS MADE NEAR TORGAU, GERMANY ON THE ELBE RIVER. THE FIRST MEETING OF THE RUSSIANS AND ALLIED TROOPS WAS THE CLIMAX TO THE WAR IN EUROPE AND THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMAN ARMY. REMAINED IN GERMANY AS PART OF THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION. DISCHARGED IN MAY 1946 AT FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON, WITH THE RANK OF SERGEANT. RECEIVED COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH 3 BATTLE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL.