Wall of Honor

Col Grant Cochran

1920-2009

Grant Cochran, of Creswell, died Feb. 24, 2009 of age-related causes. He was 88.

He was born Aug. 18, 1920 in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Donald and Grace Davis Cochran. He married Hallie Pratt on May 24, 1947 in San Antonio, Texas.

He studied pre-veterinary medicine at Iowa State University for two years.

From 1942 to 1963, he served in the United States Air Force piloting B-52 bombers, retiring with the rank of Major. During the 46 years he lived in Lane County, he was a rancher, a pilot, sold aircraft and was parts manager at Eugene Aircraft.

He volunteered with the United States Civil Air Patrol and the United State Air Force Auxiliary, serving as Colonel from 1987 to 1990, and as Wing Commander for the State of Oregon.

He is survived by: his wife, Hallie P. Cochran of Creswell; two sons, Steven G. Cochran of Creswell and Phillip E. Cochran, D.V.M. of Portland; a brother, Thomas E. Cochran of Underwood, Wash.; a sister, Fay M. Ronk of Kansas City, Mo.; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was buried in Willamette National Cemetery following a funeral at the Creswell Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. England's Creswell Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, Wing Headquarters, in Eugene.

A word about his military command.  In WWII he was a bombadier-navigator in a B-24, he got hit on his 2nd and 22nd missions, and carried 49 pieces of flack in his legs the rest of his life.  He earned the silver star, 2 purple hearts, air medal, Air Force commendation medal, and others to name a few.  He became a pilot after the war, flew the B-29, B-50, B-47, C-47, and B-52.  He was a B-47 instructor pilot for 4 years.  He was in the Strategic Air Command, and when not flying was an Asst. Senior Controller and a Senior Controller of the Command Post of A SAC base at Torrejon Air Force Base in Madrid, Spain and Glasgow Air Force Base in Glasgow, Montana.  He retired in as a Major in 1963 and moved to Creswell, Oregon, where he bought a cattle ranch.  He raised registered Limousine cattle.  He was also a gunsmith, ran a sporting goods store in Creswell for about 3 years, worked as a airplane salesman for Eugene Air Craft, and then took over as parts manager until he completely retired. He owned his own plane it was a Stinson L-5, made in 1942.  It was a spotter aircraft, and saw duty from D-Day to Viet Nam I heard.    It was awarded the "Old War Bird" trophy at the Creswell Air Show one year.