Ross County OhArchives Photo Document.....W.W.II Letter From Howard Cokonougher March 15, 1945
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ralph W. Cokonougher rcokon@hotmail.com January 28, 2011, 10:12 pm

Source:             Old Cokonougher Family Letters.
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ross/photos/documents/wwiilett5328nph.jpg
Image file size: 267.5 Kb


The text of this letter reads:

"Philippine Islands
March 15, 1945.

Hello Jim and all:
	Heres a few lines in Answer to the letter I received a few days ago 
from you.  Well as you probably know from the news; I have been through Hell 
and Hot Waters since I wrote you last.  They came close to getting me, but I 
guess the good luck was on my side, so I’m still writing letters to my 
friends.  I got scratched up a little but not bad enough to leave the front 
line.  I am now back having a little rest at the present.  I’m sleeping on a 
G.I. Bunk.  Last night made ten nights that I’ve slept on a bunk since last 
October.  Don’t Ask me how I’ve been able to stand it for I don’t know.  You 
know I finaly hit a place where there is some good drinks.  I’m telling you 
that a shot of Scotch realy went good after a struggle all day long under hot 
lead.  I finaly met some white people here to.  Some were Swiss, some were 
Spanish, and some were American born.  They were certainly nice people.  It 
kind of made me home sick when I went in the houses.  They were the first real 
Civilian homes I had been in for over a year.  Well theres not much I know to 
write about over here at the present so this is going to be short.  Its hotter 
than blue blazes here in the day time and it gets kind of chilly at nights.  
It makes a fellow sleep good.  And it hasn’t rained on this Island since I’ve 
been here.  Can’t hardly find water to shave in.  Well Friends I’m going to 
have to be closing for this time.  I wish you all a happy Easter, and I’ll be 
waiting on a letter from you.  Take it easy and I’m hoping to see you all when 
this thing ends.
	So – Long for this time;
	
		From,
		Bill"

The postmark on the envelope reads:
"U.S. Army Postal Service, 8:30 AM, 2 Dec 1944."

The envelope is stamped:
"Passed by U S Army Examiner 15410"

The return address on the envelope reads:
"P.F.C. Howard Cokonougher 35424554
 E. Troop 8th Cavalry
 A.P.O. #201  % Postmaster
 San Francisco, California"

The address on the envelope reads:  		
"Mr. and Mrs. James Wisecup 
Greenfield, Ohio
Route #2"


Additional Comments:

P.F.C. Howard Cokonougher was the son of John H. and Amelia Cokonougher of 
Wisecup Hill Road in Buckskin Township of Ross County, Ohio.  He was my 
father.  The incident where "They came close to getting me . . ." was when 
Howard was following a tank during a firefight in an assault on the enemy.  
The enemy hit the tank in front of him and blew it up.  A piece of the tank 
hit Howard in the forehead right between the eyes, knocking out and to the 
ground.  After he came to and was looked at by the medic, he was put back in 
the front line and continued to fight.  He received a purple heart for his 
wound.  The piece of metal that hit him was never removed and was still in his 
forehead when he died in 1984.  Years after his wartime service, when Howard 
was middle aged, he was hit between the eyes again in a hunting accident when 
his hunting partner's shotgun pellet ricosheyed off a rock and hit him.  He 
walked away from that incident too.   

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/ross/photos/documents/wwiilett5328nph.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ohfiles/

File size: 3.8 Kb