World War II Honoree

Albert B. Cooksey

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A LOCKHEED P-38 ‘LIGHTING’ FIGHTER PILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 393RD FIGHTER SQUADRON, 367TH FIGHTER GROUP, UNITED STATES 9TH AIR FORCE. HIS UNIT WAS BASED AT THE IBSLEY ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRFIELD, ARMY AIR CORPS STATION #347 HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 1944 AS A RESULT OF A MID-AIR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER P-38 FIGHTER SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF AND WAS BURIED IN A MILITARY CEMETERY IN ENGLAND. AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN EUROPE, HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY, WITH INTERMENT AUGUST 9, 1948 IN THE GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL CEMETERY, SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: AIR MEDAL WITH 3 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS AND THE PURPLE HEART. THE AIR MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO THE LIEUTENANT FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT AND THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.