Awarded French Croix d'Guerre, Belgian Croix d'Guerre, Netherlands Resistance Cross (Verzetsherdenkingskruis) in WWII.
All my father wanted to do was play the trumpet and lead the band. He enlisted in 1934 because he could no longer afford college and was sent to the 4th Infantry Regiment Band at Fort George Wright in Spokane Washington. His enlistment ended in 1938 and he returned home to Arkansas. His National Guard unit was called to active service in 1939 and sent to Alaska. He left Alaska in 1943 and was sent to the 7th Armored Division Band. When the 7th Armored Division was sent into France in 1944, the band was made into a weapons platoon and my father was made the Platoon Sergeant. He made the statement to me once that, "The US Army did not train me to be an infantryman.... The German 1st SS Panzer Army taught me the hard way." Sadly enough, he was wounded badly enough in the Battle of the Bulge that he could never play the trumpet again (severe diaphragm wound). After serving in the Austrian Command from 1946 to 1949, my Dad got out and became a History teacher and Assistant Principal at North Little Rock High School. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 as a historian to avoid Infantry service in Korea. He told my mother that he dreamed that he was killed in Korea, which led to his enlistment. He was soon stationed at Sonderstrom, Greenland where was a historian for the 8th Air Force. He held the first radio quiz program north of the Arctic Circle for the servicemen stationed there, which I have tapes of. He retired on Dec 31, 1962, shortly before my 6th Birthday. He had 24 years of active service, 2 years in the ARNG and 2 years in the USAR.
7th Armored Division, US Army
CITED IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY of the Belgian Army, in Decree No. 7253, 13 July 1950, by Charles, Prince of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom, with the following citation:
During the crucial period of the German offensive of the Ardennes, in 1944, the American 7th Armored Division, attacked by enemy forces estimated at eight divisions, among them 3 SS Panzer and 2 Panzer Divisions, held the important center of Saint Vith, preventing any advance and any exploitation on this main line, thus dooming the German offensive to frustration and, by its sacrifice, permitting the launching of the Allied counteroffensive.
CITED IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY of the Belgian Army, in Decree No. 7253, 13 July 1950, by Charles, Prince of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom, with the following citation:
Passing over to the attack on 20 January in the Saint Vith sector where it had fought previously, the 7th Armored Division pushed the enemy out of the position that it had been organizing for two weeks, and pushed it without respite seven kilometers beyond the Belgian frontier, inflicting heavy losses on this enemy. During these nine days it captured more than one thousand prisoners.
BELGIAN FOURRAGERE (1940), awarded by Decree No. 7253, 13 July 1950, by Charles, Prince of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom.
Mary Diemer Cooper
widow of Paul R. Cooper, passed away on 24 May 2010 in Edmond, OK. She was a 1944 graduate of Little Rock High School, attended Little Rock Junior College, and was a 1946 Graduate of Arkansas State Teacher's College. She also did graduate study at the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama.
Mrs. Cooper was a past President of the Arkansas Authors and Composers Society and was a former member of the Poet's Round-table. She had held positions as a Teacher and Principal in Europe and in several states as she travelled with her husband during his military service. Her first position after college was Principal of Salzburg American High School (Austria) in 1946. She was 19 years old. She was also the Principal and Superintendent of the Arkansas Girl's Training School in Alexander.
Mrs. Cooper began public speaking at the age of 4. Coincidently, she was buried 100 feet from the pavilion in the Little Rock National Cemetery where she read a selection of poetry during the 1937 Memorial Day services. She was 10 years old at the time. At the age of 14, she joined the Civil Air Patrol during WWII.
A member of First Christian Church in Little Rock, she was honored to serve as the teacher of the 78 year-old Whatsoever Class. Mrs. Cooper was a part-time author having articles published in several Christian publications and was the author of "Open House", a book of poetry.
She is survived by her son, MAJ (Ret) Mark Cooper of Fayetteville NC and his wife Joy, daughter Paula Cooper Miller of Edmond, OK and husband Ken Miller,6 grand-children, (soon to be) 7 great grand-children, 4 nieces, and 1 nephew.
A funeral service will be held on 28 May 2010 at 12:30 at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth Funeral Home in Little Rock. A burial service will follow at the Little Rock National Cemetery at 2 PM. Visitation will be Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 at the funeral home.
