Earl Glenn Cobeil (1934 - 1970)

Lieutenant Colonel Earl Cobeil was A Prisoner of War Unknown days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Earl Cobeil served in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War
Service started: 1957
Unit(s): 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron
Service ended: 5 November 1970

Birth

Earl Glenn Cobeil was born on 29 August 1934 in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan, United States to Earl Grant Cobeil (1895-1961) and Ida Marie Woitha (1897-1964).

Marriage

He married Patricia Carol Quinton in Cameron County, Texas on 28 June 1957 at the age of 22. Patricia was 21.

Known Child of the Cobeil-Quinton Marriage

1. Jeffrey Scott Cobeil

Military

Earl was commissioned through the United States Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps on 8 June 1956 in Michigan. He began active duty on 20 January 1957 and began navigator training. Then Lieutenant Cobeil earned his wings at Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas in March of 1958. He completed Electronic Warfare Officer Training at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi in October 1958.

His first assignment was from October 1958 until October 1962 at Forbes Air Force Base, Shawnee County, Kansas. He was a RB-47 Stratojet Electronic Warfare Officer with the 343rd Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. Then until January 1963, he was with the 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron.

He served as a B-58 Hustler Defensive Systems Officer with the 64th Bomb Squadron of the 43rd Bomb Wing at Carswell, Air Force Base and in Little Rock, Arkansas at Little Rock Air Force Base until August 1966 before he attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama until August 1967.

Completing F-105 Thunderchief Combat Crew Training and serving as an F-105 Wild Weasel Electronic Warfare Officer with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand until he was taken as a Prisoner of War on 5 November 1967 after ejecting over North Vietnam with Major Richard Dutton. They were both captured immediately and disrobed and blindfolded. Glen was unconscious. Dutton did manage to get a quick look at Glenn and there were no wounds on him that he could see and he was alive. Dutton never saw him again after they arrived at the Hanoi Hilton, but he knew he was alive because they were both tortured and he heard him. POW George "Bud" Day arrived at the Zoo on 30 April 1968 and he states that they had already pounded Earl out of his senses. He gave accounts of what he saw and ended with the comment that It sounds so savage you have trouble picturing it.

Military Honors

Air Force Cross Citation:

The Air Force Cross is presented to Earl Glenn Cobeil, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 5 November 1967 until his death while still in captivity on or about 5 November 1970. During this period, Lieutenant Colonel Cobeil demonstrated his extremely strong personal fortitude and maximum persistence in the face of severe enemy harassment and torture, suffering critical injuries and wounds. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower, in the face of the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Cobeil reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

1. Air Force Cross
2. Silver Star
3. Legion of Merit
4. Purple Heart
5. Air Medal
6. Commendation Medal Air Force

The full ribbon set is available here.

Death

Earl died at the brutal hands of the man the POWs called Fidel, who was brought in from Cuba to teach the North Vietnamese how to more thoroughly extract information from the prisoners. Eye witnesses state that Earl was brutally beaten every day for a month until he was finally in a catatonic state. They thought he was faking and continued to beat him until he died. ^[1] The enemy returned his remains on 6 March 1974. The date they gave of his death is probably not accurate.

Burial

Lieutenant Colonel Earl G. Cobeil was buried with full honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia. He is in Section 11, Site 113-1. Find A Grave: Memorial #9719796

Sources

1. ↑ Rockdale Citizen article written by Pete Mecca as told to him by fellow former POW Captain Wayne Waddell. Published on 14 Aug 2016. Publisher Rockdale Citizen

• 1940 United States Federal Census
• Kansas, U.S. City and County Census Records, 1919-1961.
• Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.
• U.S. Find A Grave Index.
• U.S. Index to Public Records, 1994-2019.
• U.S. School Yearbooks, 1900-1999.
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014.
• U.S. Vietnam War Military Casualties.
• Rockdale Citizen.

https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/news/local/a-veteran-s-story-vietnam-pilot-survives-five-years-in-pow-camp/article_530d06fc-eecb-539c-a867-14fb42ca2bbc.html