 |
Remember...Glenn Hayward Cosner
|
Glenn Hayward Cosner was born October 22, 1922, in Barbour County, West Virginia. His parents were Leslie Ray Cosner and Goldie Ethel Marsh Cosner. While some official documents spell his given name with one "n," it appears that Glenn preferred two, as seen in his signature on his draft card. Glenn had five siblings: Ellen M., Rex M., Keith W., Betty A., and Robert R. Cosner. Leslie spent the early years of his professional life as a schoolteacher, but later sought work in the coal industry, holding various technical and leadership positions. During the Great Depression, the family moved to Marion County, specifically Grant Town. Glenn attended Fairview High School, where he participated in basketball, baseball, glee club, and drama.
When Glenn graduated in 1941, it was apparent that World War II was looming. After high school, Glenn took work as a laborer with the United States Aluminum Company in Fairfield, Connecticut. There he registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, but still listed Marion County as his permanent address. On December 28 of that year, he was drafted. After his basic training, Glenn volunteered to become a paratrooper and was sent to Camp Toccoa in Georgia, known for its rigorous training regiment. He was then assigned to Company I, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. In November 1943, the 506th was assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia. The role of paratrooper was relatively new; the earliest actual combat jump was in 1942.
The 506th made several additional training moves (Camp Mackall, North Carolina; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Camp Shanks, New York) and then was transferred to Liverpool, England. There, they began preparation for Operation Overlord, known more familiarly as D-Day. While many paratroopers were lost on D-Day, the 506th continued to be engaged and participated in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands in September 1944. The 506th would eventually end up at Bastogne along with the 101st Airborne Division. In January 1944, the 506th was fighting around Noville and Foy. Private First Class Cosner lost his life on January 13. Buried in a European cemetery until 1948, Glenn's remains were then returned to the States, and he was interred in Grafton National Cemetery.
Essays from the National Cemeteries Project are posted on the West Virginia Humanities Council's website. For a more comprehensive biography of Glenn Cosner, refer to the essay written by Grafton High School students Ava Barrett, Adriana Corder, Kylee Poston, and Karigan Wildroudt at https://wvhumanities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cosner_Glenn_Hayward-USA.pdf
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
