World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Verlin E. Cokely
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Hometown
Parkersburg, Illinois
Honored By
James L. Dale
IN EARLY 1942 HE WAS PUT INTO COMPANY C, 18TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION. SENT TO ENGLAND ON THE QUEEN MARY. PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORTH AFRICA IN LANDING AT ARZEW, ALGERIA ON NOVEMBER 8, 1942. HE AND SOME OF HIS COMRADES WERE ASSIGNED TO A BRITISH UNIT AND WERE CAPTURED BY A GERMAN PANZER DIVISION. AS PRISONERS OF WAR, THEY WERE TURNED OVER TO ITALIAN TROOPS AND SENT TO A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP IN ITALY. AFTER THE ITALIANS SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES THE UNGUARDED PRISONERS ABANDONED THE CAMP ON SEPTEMBER 14, 1945 AND HID OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. FOR NINE MONTHS HE WAS SHELTERED BY AN ITALIAN FARM FAMILY. ON JUNE 16, 1944, HE MADE CONTACT WITH A BRITISH ARMY UNIT AND THEN AN AMERICAN UNIT. ON JULY 21, 1944 HE WAS PUT ON A TROOP TRANSPORT AND SENT BACK TO THE USA.