Avery Madison Cochran

Avery Madison Cochran was born at Fort McPherson, Fulton County, Georgia on January 21, 1910,
the son of Captain Percy M. Cochran of the 17th Infantry and the grandson of Colonel Melville A. Cochran
of the 6th Infantry.

Avery was appointed to the US Military Academy from Ohio on July 2, 1928 and graduated 174 out of 262
on June 10, 1932, when he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry. He was a Cadet Sergeant
in Company L of his graduating class. At the Academy his best subjects were Engineering and Military
Hygiene and his worst subjects were Tactics and Economics & Government.

Left and above:
The entry for Avery M. Cochran in the 1932 U.S. Military Academy yearbook the Howitzer

Cochran served with the 10th Infantry at Fort Thomas, Kentucky from July 1, 1932 to March 16, 1934.
He was on detached service with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from March 16, 1934 to
July 31, 1935 then returned to Fort Thomas.

Cochran attended the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia as a student officer from September 1, 1936
to June 18, 1937 on which date he graduated from the Infantry School Regular Course.

He was then assigned to a Company of the 12th Infantry at Fort Washington, Maryland and served on garrison duty
there. From October 15 - December 2, 1938 he was at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland as a student officer at the
Chemical Warfare School before returning to garrison duty at Fort Washington.

From May 14 - June 1, 1939 he was the commanding officer of the Arlington Cantonment in Virginia across the
Potomac River from Washington, D.C. (in later years designated as South Post, Fort Meyers.) From June 1 - 28, 1939
he was with his Company of the 12th Infantry at Fort Washington, Maryland. He was at Tuscaloosa, Alabama from
June 30 - August 26, 1939 as a student officer at the Air Corps Training Center. He was enroute to his new duty station
in Alaska from November 14 - December 13, 1939.

On December 13, 1939 Cochran reported to Chilkoot Barracks at Haines, Alaska (formerly Fort Seward)
for duty with the 4th Infantry. In July 1940 he was assigned as Post Adjutant and Post Exchange Officer.
In the July-August 1940 edition of The Infantry Journal he authored an article entitled "Canine Cartridge Carrier."

On September 9, 1940 he was offered the temporary rank of Captain in the Army of the United States (AUS)
which he accepted on October 14, 1940.

From January 21 to April 1941 he was on detached service in Alaska as part of a dog sled test expedition.
From May to August of 1941 he was at the Naval Air Station at Sitka, Alaska where he commanded a rifle
company and was the Executive Officer of the Army Garrison. From May to August 1941 he commanded
a rifle company of the 4th Infantry. In September 1941 he was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska where
he commanded a rifle company.

From February 8 - April 1942 Cochran was a Battalion Staff Officer with the 87th Mountain Infantry Regment at
Fort Lewis, Washington as that unit was forming up. In May 1942 he reported to Washington, D.C. where he was
Assistant G-3 Officer in the Mountain and Winter Warfare Section of Headquarters Army Ground Forces.

He was promoted to the permanent rank of Captain in the Regular Army on June 10, 1942.

He remained with Headquarters Army Ground Forces until the end of August 1942. From September 1 - November 20, 1942
he was at Camp Carson, Colorado where he was the G-3 Officer at the Mountain Training Center. On November 20 he moved to
Camp Hale, Colorado where he continued his duties as G-3 Officer and also became the Executive Officer of the Mountain
and Winter Warfare Brigade.

Cochran remained at Camp Hale until March 1943. From March - June 1943 he was at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
where he graduated from the Command and General Staff School, 13th General Staff Class in June 1943.

He returned to Camp Hale where he commanded a Battalion of the 86th Infantry until July 15, 1943. He was
on detached service in Kiska, Alaska as an observer for Army Ground Forces from July 17 - September 1, 1943.
He was back at Camp Hale where he commanded 3rd Battalion 86th Infantry until October 1, 1943.

Cochran shipped overseas to Italy where he was Commanding Officer of the Mountain Training Detachment of
Fifth Army from October 18, 1943 to March 3, 1944. From March 4-27, 1944 he was attached to the 349th
Infantry in the 88th Infantry Division. He became the Executive Officer of the 350th Infantry 88th Division
on March 28, 1944 and remained in that position until March 23, 1945. He assumed command of the 350th
Infantry on March 24, 1945.

On May 3, 1945 Cochran was promoted to the temporary rank of Colonel (AUS). He continued to command
the 350th Infantry on occupation duty until March 22, 1946. His temporary rank of Colonel terminated on May 31, 1946,
and on June 1, 1946 his temporary rank of Lt Colonel terminated.

He returned to the United States where on September 14, 1946 he became the G-3 Officer of the Section of the Joint
Maneuvers and Special Project at the Headquarters Army Ground Forces at the Office of Chief of Army Field Forces
at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Cochran was promoted to the permanent rank of Lt Colonel in the Regular Army on July 15, 1948.

At an unknown date he was given another promotion to the temporary rank of Colonel (AUS)
which terminated on September 7, 1950.

He graduated from the Naval Warfare College in 1951 and from the Strategic Intelligence School in 1952.

The exact dates of Cochran's command of the 22nd Infantry are unknown at this time but he most certainly was in
command of the Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington as part of the 4th Infantry Division in 1956.

In August, 1956 the 5th Infantry was released from the 71st Infantry Division and its personnel and equipment
at Fort Lewis were re-flagged as the 22nd Infantry Regiment, which, up to that time had been stationed in Germany.
This most likely would be the date Cochran assumed command of the 22nd Infantry.

On April 1, 1957 the 22d Infantry Regiment became the 1st Battle Group (1st BG) 22nd Infantry
of the 4th Infantry Division. LTC Walter Wickbolt commanded the 1st BG 22nd Infantry from 1957-1959.

Under the Reorganization Objective Army Divisions (ROAD) plan of 1962-1964 the Army's Divisions
were reorganized using independent Battalion command instead of Regimental command.

On October 1, 1963 the 22nd Infantry was assigned as separate Battalions to the 3rd Brigade of the
4th Infantry Division, with Battalion Commanders, but no Regimental Commander.

From 1967 through 2017, the separate Battalions of the 22nd Infantry have been assigned to
the 4th Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division and the 10th Mountain Division but have never been
rejoined all together under Regimental Command.

Thus it can be said with a great degree of certainty that Colonel Avery M. Cochran was the last Commander
of the 22nd Infantry Regiment.

On September 7, 1962 Cochran retired from the Army. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal,
the Purple Heart Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the French Croix de Guerre, the Italian Cross of Military Valor
and the Finnish Order of the White Rose.

Colonel Avery M. Cochran, 22nd Infantry Regimental Commander, raises his cup in toast (far left.)

AVERY M. COCHRAN

Services for retired Army Col. Avery M. Cochran, a West Point graduate and San Rafael resident, are scheduled
for 11 a.m. Friday at the Post Chapel of the Presidio, San Francisco.

Cochran, 70, died Sunday at a Palo Alto hospital.

A member of a longtime Army family, Cochran graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1932 and was on
active duty in the Army for 30 years.

In 1941, while stationed in Alaska, he led an eight-man dog sled expedition from Haines to Burwash Landing,
testing warfare equipment.

During World War II, he served in combat with the 88th Infantry Division in Italy. From 1952 to 1955 he was
Army attaché to Finland where he was awarded the Order of the White Rose by the Finnish government.

He was a member of the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, an honorary member of the San Rafael Rotary
Club and a member of the 88th Infantry Division Association, California and national branches.

He is survived by his wife Anne; two daughters, Anne MacLeod of Fremont and Constance Greenfield of San
Rafael and seven grandchildren.

--- --- ---
A Death Notice in the Jan. 23 issue of the paper names his grandchildren: Gordon Avery, Douglas, William and
James MacLeod, Catherine, Elizabeth and Anne Greenfield. He was the brother of Mrs. R. J. West, Mrs. R. Blair
Maddox and the late Melville A. Cochran of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Burial:
San Francisco National Cemetery
San Francisco
San Francisco County
California, USA
Plot: Section OSA Row 109 Site 6