VIDOR, Texas — Southeast Texas is remembering a 100-year-old World War II veteran who died with no family around.
Vidor Police and the community stepped up to make sure Marine Corps veteran Reginald Cochran had the final salute he deserved.
Cochran served in the pacific theater during World War II. But all records of his service went up in flames after a fire at the National Archives in the 70s. There is no record of his past or his family left.
12News attended Cochran's funeral on Friday and spoke with his caretaker who knew him best.
Cochran's caretaker, Todd Messina says enduring the violence of the pacific theater in World War II was never enough to take his smile, or the sunshine he brought to those who knew him best.
While Cochran may currently have no known family, dozens of Southeast Texans, including veterans from across the region gathered to celebrate the life of a fallen brother.
"People with families don't fill up a room like he did. It's overwhelming to me, if you got a chance to know him, you would understand why," said Messina.
Messina served as Cochran's caretaker for the last year-and-a-half of his life. He says Cochran, who he called "Pop" never missed time bonding with him over morning coffee.
"He was raised on a dairy farm. Another reason we got along was he was an old country boy, too, when he was younger. We're both little country boys," Messina said.
While Cochran chose to stay silent about his combat experience on the beaches of the pacific, Messina says "Pop" once recalled how he got his news about the rest of the war, after he and his fellow devil dogs moved inland.
"You didn't know what was going on in the world. He said, the way they got the information was when the new troops would land," Messina said.
While Messina says many post-war details of Cochran's life are a bit of a mystery, he says past conversations with Cochran revealed where his family could be.
"His family's gone. He outlived everybody. But he still has relatives like he said his brother's kids or his sister's kids, somewhere in Ohio. Pop told me he had a a few girlfriends here and there. He said something about a wife, I thought," Messina shared with 12News.
As the search for Cochran's family continues, Messina says he and the rest of the community will remember the honor, courage and commitment of a century-old marine, who will remain "always faithful" even in death.
"He was a marine through and through. I lost a great friend," Messina said.
Cochran's folded flag will be kept at the Vidor Police Department until his next of kin can be found. He will finally be laid to rest Wednesday, August 7 at 12:45 p.m. in Houston National Cemetery.