World War II Honoree

Adrian Dorsey Cooper, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Norfolk, Virginia

Honored By

Adrianne Donna Cooper Hurt

Relationship

Daughter

JOINED THE U.S. ARMY IN JANUARY, 1942. AFTER BASIC TRAINING AT MAXWELL FIELD, ALABAMA, HE RECEIVED FURTHER INSTRUCTION IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AT BENNETTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA AND SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA. HE WAS AWARDED HIS FLYING WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT AT TURNER FIELD, ALBANY, GEORGIA IN NOVEMBER, 1942. FROM THERE HE MOVED TO BARKSDALE FIELD IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA FOR HIS FINAL TRAINING AS A B-26 PILOT. HE WAS DEPLOYED TO MASSICAULT, TUNISIA IN MAY, 1943, WHERE HE WAS REASSIGNED TO FLY A B-17. FROM AUGUST TO DECEMBER OF THAT YEAR, HE FLEW 25 MISSIONS WHILE BEING PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT IN DECEMBER, HE JOINED ALL THE TROOPS IN THEIR MOVE TO THE AIRFIELD IN AMENDOLA, ITALY, FROM WHICH SITE HE FLEW 25 MORE MISSIONS. ON HIS 50TH MISSION TO BOMB STAZ DI CAMPOLEONE, ITALY, FEBRUARY 17, 1944, HIS B-17 WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BY GERMAN GROUND FLAK; HE TOO WAS HIT BY THE FLAK, AND DIED IN THE PILOT’S SEAT, BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED NEAR ANZIO. HE WAS BURIED IN AN AMERICAN GRAVEYARD IN NETTUNO, ITALY. IN JUNE, 1947, HIS REMAINS WERE FINALLY RETURNED TO THE USA, FOR BURIAL IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.