James Cochran

Bio

James Cochran was born in Iowa on October 27, 1930. He graduated high school in 1948 and had dreams of going to college. He managed to go for one year before having to withdraw. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1952 and sent to Korea. He was trained in artillery and was assigned to the Fire Direction Center. His job was to determine the atmospheric variables that influenced the trajectory of weapon fire. The letters he wrote home were the only records he kept of his time in Korea. He arrived back home in the fall of 1953 and utilized the GI Bill to complete his education. He participated in the revisit program and was able to return to Korea to see for himself the remarkable recovery and progress made by a country once devastated by war.

Video Clips

Duties in the Fire Direction Center

James Cochran recounts his transfer and arrival at post in the Punch Bowl area and details the living conditions there amid the artillery. He describes his role in the Fire Direction Center (FDC) which entailed providing the battery with information for aiming. He explains a shift rotation example for this particular role as well.

Tags: Front lines,Impressions of Korea,Living conditions,Weapons

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Weather Data Use in Firing Artillery

James Cochran describes using weather data to influence firing artillery. He recalls a separate unit sending up weather balloons to collect data on wind direction, temperature, humidity, and other measures used in making artillery corrections and firing trajectory adjustments. He explains the importance of these variables with regard to successfully hitting targets.

Tags: Front lines,Weapons

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Softer Side of War

James Cochran offers a glimpse of the softer side of war. He recounts his living conditions in bunkers and recalls sleeping without heat from the bunker furnace at night despite the cold temperatures. He remembers being well fed and shares that he often wrote letters home during his service, detailing the weather and requesting items such as socks and camera film.

Tags: Food,Front lines,Impressions of Korea,Letters,Living conditions

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Modern Korea's Growth

James Cochran shares his thoughts on Korea, a country he knew nothing about prior to the Korean War. He marvels at the advances and growth of modern Korea in the automobile and electronics industries. He acknowledges the competition between Korean businesses and Google located in his hometown despite the relatively short period of time following the war as a means of economic comparison.