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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Thomas Scott Cooper

This profile is in honor of my father, James Edward Cooper. My father hailed from a small town in middle Tennessee (Mayland), and joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 18. After graduating from Parris Island, he was sent to Korea, where he fought in the Korean War under Chesty Puller in the 'Frozen Chosin.' Following his time in the Marines, he was accepted into the NAVCAD program and graduated as a Naval Aviator, flying the F3H 'Demon,' A-4 'Skyhawk,' and lastly, the F8 'Crusader' (the 'last of the gunfighters') off the USS Bonhomme Richard. Upon completion of his service to his country, he was hired by United Airlines, where he flew a variety of airplanes from the DC-6 (where he met my mother, a then UAL flight attendant), up to the DC-8 and eventually the 727, where he retired as a captain. As his son, I have been honored to continue his legacy as a Captain for United Airlines.