Tripp Cochrane celebrating his 100th birthday!

Charles Tripp Cochrane, a member of the “Greatest Generation," having served during World War II is a resident of Cape Girardeau and will be celebrating his 100th birthday on Saturday, October 5th.

Tripp’s family is asking for one thing to make his milestone birthday on Saturday more than just another day. It’s a simple request — for complete strangers to send him a birthday card!

Tripp was born on October 5, 1919 in Jacksonville, FL. He lived in Ripley, NY until 1932 when his family moved to La Feria, TX. He enlisted in the Army in March, 1941 at Langley Field, VA. He was assigned to Chanute Field, Illinois to begin training as a meteorologist for the Army Air Corps. He served as a meteorologist for the remainder of World War II, earning an American Defense Ribbon and a Good Conduct Medal, but was never deployed overseas. He separated from the Army Air Corps at Rome Army Airfield, NY on October 21, 1945. He had attained the rank of Master Sergeant.

He married Lorna Stevens, from British Columbia, Canada , in Los Angeles, CA in 1951. He was working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as a meteorologist. As a government employee, in order to be promoted he would have to apply for, and be assigned to, a position that could be anywhere. He earned his middle name and nickname “Tripp” by moving dozens of times throughout his career and after. He has lived in Wake Island, Canton Island, Fairbanks and Anchorage Alaska, Salt Lake City (3 times), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Walla Walla and Anacortes Washington, Phoenix and Prescott Arizona and San Diego. He earned his B.S. degree in meteorology from the University of Utah in 1963. After having retired from NOAA in 1980, he and Lorna eventually moved to Illinois in 2004 to be near their son Dale. When Lorna passed away in 2008, he moved to Capetown Independent Living in Cape Girardeau. He just moved into the Missouri Veterans Home this year. Tripp has 4 sons; 1 living in Arizona (Chuck), 2 in Illinois (Jim in Carbondale, and Dale in Anna) and his youngest son, Mike lives here in Cape and in San Diego.

Tripp at HS Graduation, 1936

Tripp has a big birthday celebration planned for this Saturday, including his family and friends who are traveling in to celebrate this fabulous milestone. If you want to help mark the occasion, you can send a card that will be displayed on the wall in his room to the Missouri Veterans Home, 2400 Veterans Memorial Dr, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701. Thanks for helping us celebrate Tripp’s #100!!!