by MELINDA W. BIGELOW, Press Argus-Courier Staff Wednesday, October 4, 2006 9:38 AM CDT
Those metal foot lockers in the attic or storage sheds behind the homeplace may contain photos sought by Crawford County Friends of Genealogy. The friends are on a mission to preserve Crawford County's role in World War II by compiling a book featuring military personnel with ties to Crawford County.
"Anyone who has moved to Crawford County since the war, who has family here, or has roots in Crawford County, deserves to be featured in this memorial to the hard work and sacrifice which they gave to secure a safer and freer world for succeeding generations," said Hilda Daugherty, vice president of the genealogy organization. "For that reason, the group requests that individuals search for photos of their World War II family and friends then please bring a copy of those photos, along with the dates and description of their service, to the Van Buren Public Library so those loved ones might be included in this book of remembrance."
An example of what the group would like to compile is: W.C. (Cleo) Coatney of the Kenner Chapel Community was inducted into the U.S. Army on Feb. 18, 1943. He was deployed overseas just seven days later on Feb. 25, 1943. Cleo had grown up hunting in the hills of Crawford County and his expertise with guns immediately catapulted him into the thick of battle. He spent five months at Adak, Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands which was the Northern Pacific Theater and then eight months in the European Theater of action. Cleo served as a Combat Rifleman and witnessed many horrors of battle in the Po Valley of Italy. He was discharged Sept. 11, 1945, and received the Expert Rifleman Medal, Bronze Star and Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. Cleo returned to rural Crawford County, married Elsie Bowman and had a son, also called Cleo, who served the United States during the Vietnam War.
The Crawford County Friends of Genealogy's deadline for submission of the photos and biographical information is Oct. 31. Call 474-2270 or 474-5512 for additional information.
