Oscar Hoffman Coen

Military
media-26672.jpeg UPL 26672 LC Oscar Coen 4th FG 356th FG

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Object Number - UPL 26672 - LC Oscar Coen 4th FG 356th FG

Oscar Coen was born in Wallum, North Dakota on 11 May 1917. He spent his boyhood on a Wisconsin dairy farm. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a bachelor of science degree.

He had become a school teacher in Marion, Illinois, but he decided he wanted to fly, and in May 1940 he enrolled as a U.S. Army Aviation Cadet. He soon discovered that he was to become a Navigator and resigned in September 1940, and later joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

After completing his RCAF training and OTU in England he was assigned to 71 Eagle Squadron flying Hurricanes. and later Spitfires.

On 20 October 1941 Oscar was strafing a train which blew up under him and he was forced to bail out over French occupied territory. With the help of the French Underground, he was able to avoid capture and escape through Southern France and Spain to Gibraltar. He returned to his squadron on Christmas Day 1941.

Back on Ops, on 27 April 1942 Coen with Mike McPharlin succeeded in downing three Fw-190s. On 19 august 1942 the two again collaborated in downing a Ju-88 and a "probable", andanother Fw-190, while helping to maintain air superiority over "Operation Jubilee", the code name for the unsuccessful Dieppe landing. Unfortunately, McPharlin had to bail out over the English Channel, but he was rescued and returned to base.



Oscar while flying near Alconbury in P-47C 41-6403 #03 the engine exploded, and in bailing out at high speed he used his right arm to pull the rip cord, and the sudden force fractured and dislocated his shoulder. Fortunately, he was over England and received immediate attention and therapy that saved his arm. After two months of recuperation he was back at the group on 4 August 1943. Still unable to raise his right arm above his head, he had to modify some of his movements to comply with the demands of cockpit routine, but he managed to the extent that he was again able to lead a squadron into combat.

On 11 April 1944 he transfered to the 356th FG has Deputy Group CO still flying P-47Ds.

He retired from the Air Force in 1962 as a Colonel serving has Deputy Commander of the 507th FIW flying F-102s. He died 23 June 2004 at Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise, Idaho.

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: California, bust
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group Base Air Depot 2 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 334th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: No 71 'Eagle' Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: Spitfire
  • Unit: No 71 'Eagle' Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

11 May 1917 Son of Archie Blaine and Mary Henrietta Hoffman.

Died

23 June 2004

Buried

26 June 2004 Mount Hope Cemetery Baker City, Baker County, Oregon

Revisions

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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Contributorpaceflight
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Correction. Should read: Idaho State Veterans Home Boise. Not, Iowa State Veterans Home Boise. Boise, Idaho, USA.

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Contributorfugari
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cook

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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AAM DB Entry.

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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AAM DB Entry.

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ContributorEmily
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Combined multiple records into one, this record contains additional information:

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History

Ted Damick Fighter Command Pilots list.

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Contributorapollo11
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Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.

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ContributorAAM
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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p.98

Oscar Hoffman Coen: Gallery (17 items)