Colonel Oscar Hoffman Coen was born on 11 May 1917 in Walum, Hannaford, Griggs County, North Dakota, USA, the second child of Archie Blain Coen (1890-1963) and Mary Henrietta Coen née Hoffman (1894-1980). His two sisters were Mildred Marie Coen (1915-2012) and Dorothy Mae Coen (1922-1978).
Our Picture source outlines this man's career and confirms that he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 and served as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force's No.71 (Eagle) Squadron. He transferred to the United States Army Air Force in September 1942 and eventually retired from the USAF in 1962 with the rank of Colonel. He was awarded numerous medals including both the British and American Distinguished Flying Cross.
On 14 August 1952 he married Virginia Cromwell Bertram (1915-2005) in Falmouth, Cumberland County, Maine, USA. His wife was a widow having previously been married to Major George Hurschell McPharlin (1912-1944) a pilot who was killed in action on D-Day, 6 June 1944, over France, having had one daughter.
He and his wife had three daughters, Carleen Coen, Robin Coen and Tymera Coen. He died, aged 87 years, on 23 June 2004 in Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, 1012 South Bridge Street, Baker City, Oregon, USA.
2025: Bruce W. Robeck informed us that he had published a historical fictional novel “Eagles Must Fly”(Newman Springs Publishing Co. 2024) loosely based on his uncle Oscar Coen’s experience when he was shoot down over France.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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