WWII-KIA-COOPER, Dale Rogers - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

"The galloping Ghost of the Java Coast"

Dale R. Cooper  was born near Hillsboro, Indiana, July 12, 1920, the eldest child of Marion R. and Ruby Rogers Cooper. He enlisted in the Navy August 24, 1938, receiving his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station anti- advanced training at Mare Island, California. He arrived on Asiatic Station aboard the tanker RAMAPO (AO-12) in March 1939. He was stationed at the ammunition depot at Cavite where he studied aerial photography. He reported for duty aboard the USS HOUSTON (CA-30) in 1941, about 6 months before the war.

When HOUSTON was sunk off the western tip of Java just after midnight, March 1, 1942, Dale Cooper was able to abandon ship. He made his way to an airplane float where he found Cdr. Epstein, the medical officer, Cdr. Rentz, the chaplain, 2nd Lt. Gallagher, and 8 others, 2 of whom were critically injured. During the night "Chaplain Rentz said a prayer for the men around him, and at the-conclusion he had disappeared, leaving his life jacket on the pontoon.-Walter Beeson, seaman 1st class, put the jacket on -- not having any." Lt. Gallagher left the float and made his way to Java swimming. The two injured, Pvt. Walter L Marsh and Ducey Tsao OC2c, died of wounds in the water. Around 9A.M. the float had drifted near Toppers Island with 8 survivors left including Dale Cooper. They were helped to the island by Australian survivors of the PERTH. On March 12, Dale Cooper and 6 other men left via raft for Sangiang Island. They were later captured by the Japanese. Of the 11 Americans who eventually made it to Toppers Island alive, 5 would die in captivity.

In January 1943, Dale Cooper sent a post card from a prison camp in Moulme in, Burma, stating that he was in good health and was with a friend, George Hedrick. In August 1943, while working as slave labor on the Thailand-Burma Railroad at 100 kilo camp and suffering from severe malnutrition, he became ill with a tropical ulcer on his right leg. Under horrible conditions at 100 kilo camp as described by H. S. Hamlin, officer commanding the HOUSTON men in Thailand, "Dale Rogers Cooper died on September 27, 1943 and was buried the next day in the camp burial plot with appropriate religious ceremonies, a guard of honor of U. S. service personnel and the poignant notes of taps as he was lowered to rest".

On Christmas eve 1943, just after Christmas Dinner, the family of Dale Cooper received the post card he sent from Burma in January. For the next 20 months they would believe their son was a POW in good health. The local paper takes up the story, "Hopes of their son being alive through recent reports given out that 300 crew members of the USS HOUSTON had been found in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand were blasted Friday, August 31, 1 945 for Mr. and Mrs. Marion R. Cooper of Hillsboro when they received a message telling of the death of their son Dale R. Cooper.

The message stated in part: Dale Rogers Cooper, photographer third class, USN, previously reported a prisoner of war is now known to have lost h is life in the service of his country. Information received indicates that his death occurred in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand on September 2 7, 1943".

In the fall of 1948, 10 years after he joined the Navy and 5 years after h is death in the jungle, Dale Rogers Cooper came back home again to Indian a. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Hillsboro, Indiana. His name w as inscribed on the Hillsboro war memorial located in that cemetery. Tod ay he rests next to his mother and father, remembered by his shipmates, friends and family--forever 23.

Enlisted August 24, 1938 - Granite

Cooper, Dale R.

Born July 12, 1920

Died Sept. 27, 1943

Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery Hillsboro, Ind - US Navy

Ship to: Clair Crumley

Ordered 19 October 1948

Applied for by Marion R. Cooper Sept 2, 1948 Hillsboro, Indiana

The casketed remains of Pharmacists Mate Third Class Dale R. Cooper, a WWII deceased member of the Navy being returned from overseas for final bu rial, will arrive in Hillsboro within the next months accompanied by a uniformed escort from the Chicago Distribution Center of the American Graves Registration Division. The body of Ph. M-3 Cooper was interred in the Barrakpore temporary military cemetery in India but has been returned to this country for final interment at the request of his next of kin, Marion R. Cooper, father, Rt 1, Hillsboro.   --- transcribed by kbz

The body of Petty Officer Dale Cooper, US Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Marion R. Cooper, of Hillsboro, first casualty of WWII in Fountain County will arrive in Hillsboro Friday afternoon accompanied by a military escort. The body will be removed to the home of his parents to remain until Sunday afternoon. Graveside military service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery, Hillsboro, Sunday at 2 p.m. DST with Memorial Post America Legion of Hillsboro in charge.  The Rev. HM Sagrsee, Nazarene pastor will officiate. In case of rainy weather the service will be held at the Hillsboro Christian Church.  Petty Officer Dale Cooper died in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand on Sept 27, 1943. He was born on July 12, 1920, the son of Marion R. and Ruby Rogers Cooper, who with two brothers and three sisters survive.   --- transcribed by kbz

He enlisted in the US Navy Aug 24, 1938 when a junior in Hillsboro HS.  Before the war he was a part of the Asiatic Fleet He was on the USS Houston which left the Philippines just after Pearl Harbor. His parents

received word March 17, 1942 that he was missing in action after the sinking of the USS Houston on Feb 28, 1942 in the Java Sea.  He with other sailors swam to an island where they were captured by the Japanese 18 days later. Cooper was in a Japanese prison camp for 18 months and was buried in a temporary cemetery in India.   --- transcribed by kbz

Hopes of their son being alive through recent reports given out that 300 crew members of the USS Houston had been found in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand, were blasted Friday Aug 31 for Mr. and Mrs. Marion R. Cooper of HIllsboro, when they received a message telling of the death of their son, Dale R. Cooper

The message sent by Randall Jacobs, Chief of Naval personel stated in part; Dale Rogers Cooper, photographer Third Class, USN previously reported a prisoner of war is now known to have lost his life in the service of his country. Information received indicates that his death occurred in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand on Sept 27, 1943.

Cooper was the first casualty of WWII in Fountain County, his parents received word on March 17, 1942 that he was MIA after the sinking of the USS Houston on Feb 28, 1942

He was born near Hillsboro, July 12, 1920 the eldest child of Marion R and Ruby Rogers Cooper.  The parents two brothers, one T-4 Charles Cooper in the US Army has been stationed in Hawaii for 19 months, three sisters, and his aged grandfather, Miles Cooper, 94, survive.

Cooper enlisted in the US Navy Aug 24, 1938 when in his junior year of the Hillsboro HS. Received his boot training at Great Lakes, Naval Training Station going from there to Mare Island, Calif. Aboard an oil tanker, the Ramapoa, he arrived in the Philippines in March 1939 as a part of the Asiatic fleet. Before the war he was stationed at Cavite, near Manilla in the amunition depot and was studying aerial photography.

The Houston left the Philippines just after Pearl Harbor and the last letter received from him was on Jan 7, 1942. The Houston was sank in the Java Sea Feb 28, 1942. THe next word received from him was a prisoner of war card arriving here Christmas Day 1943.

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Just as the family of Mr. and Mrs. Marion R. Cooper were finising their Christmas dinner, Mrs. Cooper was called to the telephone when she was notified that a postcard was awaiting them t the HIllsboro Post Office from their son, Dale R. Cooper, 23, petty officer third class photographer, who has been listed missing in action.

On March 15, 1942, a message from the government stated he was MIA after the sinking of the USS Houston in the Java Sea Feb 28, 1942. A second message from the government on March 11, 1943, stated that he was still missing but for them not to give up hopes. The parents did not abandon hope that he was alive.

The post card from a Japanese prison camp stated he is interned at a war prisoners camp at Mouimein in Burma, that his health is good and he also said he is with a friend, George Hedrick. He asked that they let him know about the family, which was probably all the captors would allow him to write.

Young Cooper enlisted in the US Navy Aug 24, 1938, receiving his boot training at Great Lakes Naval Training Station.  He was only home once after enlistment and that was 12 weeks, after his boot training more than 5 years ago. He is thought to have spent about 3 years in the Philippines and wa son the Houston six months before the war.

In a history of the last gallant days of the Houston, received by Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, it is stated that the USS Houston kept at sea a great portion of the time for nearly 3 months and was never in port for any

length of time. On Feb 4, while with other US & Dutch ships, the Houston successfully dodged five salvos of bombs from large bombers. Unluckily she was hit by one bomb which ruined the 8" turret, the main radio station and cut the main deck half in two.  Personnel casualties were 60 killed but the ship kept in service. On Feb 16 the Houston was escorting a troop convoy from Port Darwin to Koepang, Timor, when the expedition was attacked by Japanese bombers and escaped all but minor ...