World War II Honoree

Melton J. Cochran

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Private. Inducted into the United States Army on May 10, 1943 at Denver, Colorado. Following the completion his basic military training and combat training, he was deployed to the European Theater. He served as a Rifleman, assigned to the 133rd Infantry Regiment and an element of the Thirty-Fourth Infantry ‘Red Bull’ Division, attached to the British IX Corps. His division participated in the North Africa Campaign, Operation Torch Location: Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Wednesday, May 17, 1944 he was mortally wounded, during offensive operations, against the German and Italian armed forces. Personnel from a Grave Registration Company buried him in the Nettuno Battlefield Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy. In the post-war era, this Soldiers’ family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery Location: Nettuno, Italy. In his Memory and Honor, this American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.