[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 161 (Thursday, September 17, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E855-E856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE BRAVE SERVICE OF CHARLES E. COOPER OF TENNESSEE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK E. GREEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2020

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Army 
Private First Class Charles E. Cooper for his distinguished service to 
this nation.
  PFC Cooper served honorably in the United States Army during World 
War II, beginning in 1942 at the age of 25. He was sent to Company K, 
3rd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, 
participating in rigorous training exercises that included amphibious 
assaults that would later be employed for the D-Day assault. On that 
fateful day, June 6, 1944, the 4th Infantry Division crossed the 
English Channel to the front lines of the War, assaulting a German-held 
beach under heavy enemy fire.

[[Page E856]]

  PFC Cooper's regiment was one of the first surface-borne Allied units 
to hit the beaches at Normandy, providing much-needed relief to the 
82nd Airborne Division. The division's advancements took the Cotentin 
peninsula and resulted in the capture of Cherbourg. They also slowed 
the German Seventh Army's march toward Avranches, ultimately leading to 
the liberation of the Paris.
  The 4th Division later crossed into Belgium and broke through the 
Siegfried Line, slowly progressing through the heart of Germany. On 
November 6, 1944, a severe, month-long battle broke out at the 
fortified Hurtgen Forrest, resulting in PFC Cooper being mortally 
wounded by enemy fire. He died of his wounds on November 19, 1944, at 
the age of 27.
  PFC Cooper will forever be memorialized as an American hero. We 
remember him for his exemplary service and courageous spirit as he 
modelled for servicemembers everywhere what it means to sacrifice. As a 
monument of gratitude to his service, Wayne County in Tennessee has 
chosen to dedicate a bridge in his honor. On behalf of the United 
States Congress, I wish to pay tribute to this American hero who made 
the ultimate sacrifice in our nation's hour of need.

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