Remember...
Earl Russell Cobb
1946-1967
"True greatness, true leadership, is achieved not by reducing men to one's service but in giving oneself in selfless service to them."
J. Oswald Sanders
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Remember...Earl Russell Cobb
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| Earl Russell Cobb, known by his friends and family as "Russell," was born on October 24, 1946, in Quincy, West Virginia. Russell lived with his parents and seven siblings--six older, one younger. His parents' names were Carl Oard Cobb and Mable Clara Landers Cobb. His two brothers were named Carl Jr. and Gary, and his five sisters were Frieda, Wilma, Linda, Dottie, and Donna. Russell was a soft-spoken and easygoing kid known to enjoy hunting deer and squirrels. He attended Ward Elementary School and Cedar Grove High School until he graduated with the class of 1966. |  |
By the time Russell had graduated from high school, the United States had already entered the Vietnam War. The U.S. had more than 400,000 troops overseas, and protests had been going on back home. Peace advocates participated in antiwar marches and held other protests, many of which took place in northern states and on college campuses. Meanwhile, our soldiers conducted a strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam and continued to build our forces. The 2nd Battalion deployed to Vietnam with the 4th Infantry Division in July 1966 and operated in the Central Highlands near the Cambodian border. The 2nd Battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the Battle of Suoi Tre in March 1967.
Russell was drafted into the Army through the selective service around late 1966 or early 1967. Russell's rank was private first class and his MOS was 11B10: light infantry soldier. After completing his initial training, he was sent to Vietnam on April 17, 1967. By this time the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam had grown to 500,000.
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Pfc. Cobb was deployed with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army assigned to the Republic of Vietnam. Relieved of its assignment to the 4th Infantry Division in August 1967, 2nd Battalion was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and operated in II Corps and III Corps Tactical Zones in Vietnam. On March 10, the Division was involved in Operation Junction City with U.S. forces at the Battle of Prek Klok II, where the U.S., supported by powerful air strikes and massive artillery support, repulsed Viet Cong attacks. |
Two more attacks were launched against the 25th Division on March 21 and April 1. Both assaults were harshly held off and the Viet Cong 9th Division came out seriously weakened; they were able to retreat to safety in areas adjacent to the Cambodian border. On April 16, the U.S. decided to continue operations with a third phase of Operation Junction City. Until May 14, certain units of the 25th Division undertook long and exhausting searches, raking villages and retrieving large amounts of material, but with little contact with the Viet Cong units, now cautiously moved to a defensive footing.
On September 4, 1967, after only five months on duty, while on a combat operation at the base of Nui Ba Den Mountain ("Black Virgin Mountain"), 11 kilometers north-northeast of Tay Ninh, Pfc. Cobb's unit encountered hostile forces and firefight ensued. (Information regarding the Vietnam War is summarized from Situation Reports of the Coffelt Database, accessed 27 January 2023, https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/detreq2.php and "Vietnam War," History.com website, 29 October 2009, updated 12 January 2023, accessed 27 January 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.)
Pfc. Cobb was declared missing in action and then declared dead on September 7, 1967, when his remains were found. He died due to multiple fragment wounds. ("Earl Russell Cobb," The Virtual Wall website, accessed 27 January 2023, https://virtualwall.org/dc/CobbER01a.htm.) Once his remains were recovered, they were returned to the U.S., where he is buried in Ward Cemetery in Cedar Grove, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Pfc. Cobb was awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service and sacrifice. Pfc. Cobb will always be memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall located in Washington, D.C., as his name can be found on Panel 25E, Line 96. ("Cobb, Earl Russell," Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties, accessed 31 January 2023, https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/detreq2.php.) He is also memorialized on the West Virginia Veterans Memorial located in Charleston, West Virginia.
One of his high school friends, Gary Allen Dalton, said that "Russ never got to come home to pick out the Pontiac Firebird for which he was pre-paying. But Russ has ridden with me all these years, because he is and will always be in my heart." ("Earl Russell Cobb," The Virtual Wall website, accessed 27 January 2023, https://virtualwall.org/dc/CobbER01a.htm.)
Posting in the "Remembrances" section of the Wall of Faces on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website, his niece, Kathy Sue Holstein, said "You are still missed so much by your family! You knew you wouldn't return to us. It broke all our hearts to lose you. We still honor you and praise your sacrifice to our great country. Until we meet again, love your niece, Kathy Sue." (Accessed 27 January 2023, https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/9582/EARL-R-COBB/.)
On February 25, 2019, the West Virginia Legislature introduced House Concurrent Resolution Number 6, wherein they requested the Division of Highways to rename bridge number 20-60-36.23 (20A160), which was previously named US Route 60 Cedar Grove Overpass 3565 Bridge, as the "US Army PFC Earl Russell Cobb, SPC4 Carl Bradford Goodson, and SSGT George T. Saunders Jr. Memorial Bridge" in honor of Pfc. Russell Cobb and two other young men from Cedar Grove, who also served during the Vietnam War, to commemorate them for their service and ultimate sacrifice to our nation.
Article prepared by Abbi Reynolds, George Washington High School JROTC
January 2023
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.