John Henry Cowden, Jr.
Marriages
Nina Exler Cowden - 1940
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - May 11, 1950
JOHN COWDEN, JR. BURIED IN MILITARY RITES; John H. COWDEN Returned to States for Burial.
John H. COWDEN, who lost his life in the late war, was buried in special military services at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Jefferson Barracks, Mo., May 10. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. John COWDEN of Edwards were in Missouri for the final rites.
Born January 10, 1922 in Gypsum, Colorado, the young man was educated in the Brush creek, Gypsum and Eagle schools. In 1940 he was married to Miss Nina EXLER of Wolcott.
In February 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and following his training was sent overseas and stationed in England with a bomber crew. On Christmas Day, 1943, his B-24, on which he was a tail gunner, was shot down over France. The crew lost their plane, but all parachuted to safety, and were returned to home base.
This was at a critical stage of the war with Germany, and the crew was split up and assigned to new groups. COWDEN took a position as nosegunner on a strange plane with a strange crew-and a week after his first brush with death, his number was up. His plane and crew were shot down on January 2, 1944 on a mission over German. Part of the crew parachuted out and were smuggled to friendly territory. Others were taken captive, including the captain, and COWDEN was one of the crew, killed in the crash.
He was reported missing until after the war, when it became known he was one of those who lost his life. He was buried in a German cemetery, and later moved to a military cemetery in Belgium.
He is survived by a son, John H., his widow, who has since remarried; his parents and two brothers, James Donald and Robert Eugene and one sister, Cleo.
