The holidays are in full swing. Delightful carols fill the airwaves. Colorful lights brighten the nighttime sky. Stores bustle with busy shoppers seeking gifts. Children line up anxiously awaiting an opportunity to visit Santa Claus.
This month’s Love of Learning will tell a few short family stories about Paul “Jeff” Cochran as shared by his half-brother, Frederick L. “Fritz” Baier, in his recent two-volume book called “From This Dust.” I am tremendously grateful for meeting Fritz at the park on May 1, 2022, and treasure his willingness to share his own story along with that of his fallen brother in his books.
Before we begin, it is important to note that Paul Cochran Sr., was Paul Cochran’s grandfather. Since they lived in the same house much of their lives together, to distinguish the two, the family often referred to Paul Jr., by his middle name “Jeff.”
It is also noteworthy that Beverly is Paul “Jeff” Cochran’s Gold Star mother.
Here is the short family story:
“When Jeff was just a little boy, Beverly took him to see Santa Claus. Jeff got up on Santa’s lap and Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Jeff told him. Santa then let little Jeff down. Santa looked around and called out, ‘Who’s kid is this!?’
“Beverly stepped forward and asked if there was a problem. Santa told her that he’d been sitting there all day listening to the children tell him what present they wanted him to bring them. Jeff of all the kids had surprised him: ‘Jeffy was the first kid that season who’d asked for something for someone else — he wanted Santa to bring his mommy a new refrigerator for her apartment.’”
This story reflects the generous spirit that many of us cherish during the holidays.
Years later, that same little boy graduated Philomath High School (1966) and later enlisted in the United States Army. He took the Oath of Enlistment in Portland on Nov. 29, 1966. He swore the following:
“I, Paul Jeffrey Cochran, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, so help me God.”
On Dec. 1, 1966, Paul shipped off to attend basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, for eight weeks. Afterwards Jeff started Advanced Individual Training which he completed in April 1967. From Ft. Lewis, he travelled to Fort Benning, Georgia to train as a paratrooper at U.S. Army Airborne School.
According to Fritz’s research, Jeff was assigned, initially, to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 82nd Airborne is nicknamed the “All American Division” since it included soldiers from every state in the union when it was originally formed back in 1917.
In July 1967, Jeff deployed with the 82nd Airborne to quell the Detroit riots that broke out that summer. His unit was sent to downtown Detroit to patrol block by block, along with state police and National Guard troops. According to the Detroit Historical Society, these riots prompted by a combination of racial tension and dire economic conditions resulted in 43 dead, over 1,100 injuries and 1,700 fires. Jeff wrote a letter back home during that time that read “I was in Detroit with the 82nd for a few weeks and that was some bad stuff happening down there.”
In September, Jeff was reassigned to the 101st Airborne Division, famously known as the “Screaming Eagles,” stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. There Jeff participated in lengthy field exercises in preparation for an upcoming overseas deployment.
He earned 10-day leave from the Army in late November 1967. He used the leave to travel from Kentucky back to Oregon where he celebrated Thanksgiving with his family at 1545 College St. in Philomath (where the veteran park now sits). It was his final visit home.
In December 1967, Jeff deployed to Vietnam with his unit as part of an operation code named “Eagle Thrust” which according to the Air Force Historical Society, was the largest and longest military airlift of troops into a combat zone ever attempted. It moved over 10,000 troops along with 5,000 tons of military equipment from Kentucky to Vietnam. It seems more than a coincidence that Jeff’s deployment began in December given the story from his earlier childhood sitting in Santa’s lap.
On New Year’s Eve 1967, Jeff wrote a letter to his mother, Beverly. An excerpt read, “Mom, I hate the Army; I love everything else. But, the big but, I came in the Army to serve my time and to mature, or to better understand myself, life, and try to find out what is to become of me. I volunteered for service in Vietnam not because I think it is right or wrong, but because over 50% of America elected a man President and 100% should stand behind him ….”
What was impossible for Jeff to know was the Tet Offensive, an enormous enemy infiltration would begin a month after his letter, on Jan. 30, 1968. Tet is the name for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The Tet Offensive was a massive surprise attack designed to destabilize the South Vietnamese government and dramatically shift U.S. public opinion of the Vietnam War.
Jeff engaged in continuous combat operations throughout this tumultuous period in Vietnam and was tragically killed in action during a firefight by enemy small arms fire in the combat zone. He made the ultimate sacrifice on May 1, 1968. Jeff was 20 years old. He gave up his life for us.
When a mother loses a son in combat, she is often respectfully called a Gold Star mother. Paul’s Gold Star mother would live here in Philomath for another 50 years until she passed away on Aug. 5, 2018. Her estate indicated that her last wish was to donate Paul’s teenage home on College Street to the city of Philomath, so it could become a veteran park honoring her fallen son and be a place to reflect on the human cost of war.
After six years of community effort to construct the park, Shane Cochran-Fritz, Jeff’s Gold Star sister, cut the ribbon as part of a Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 9, 2024. Vietnam era veterans were each awarded Bronze Eagle medals to thank them for their service during a difficult period.
It is certainly a remarkable story that the same little boy on Santa’s lap who asked for a refrigerator for his mother, would years later give his life serving his country. It is equally amazing that his Gold Star mother would later give his teenage home to the city to build a veteran park in honor of her fallen son. We are grateful to the Cochran family.
There seems to be more than simple coincidence in all these facts. The generous spirit of this fallen Warrior leaves us with one enduring question: “Whose kid is this?”
(Eric Niemann is a former mayor and city councilor in Philomath. He can be reached at Lifeinphilomath@gmail.com).
Excellent story of giving, Eric! Many thanks for sharing this with everyone!