VIDOR, Texas — The Vidor community is pleading to find any surviving relatives of a 100-year-old American hero who was found dead in his home.
Two men in the Vidor Police Department have already stepped up, raising more than $3,000 for funeral costs. But they want to do more.
Reginald Cochran served as a marine veteran in World War II. He is described by his caretaker as a father figure and a great story teller.
The community is hoping to find family members to celebrate his final send off.
"There's got to be somebody out there, we sure haven't found anybody," said Vidor Police Detective Jeff Courts.
Even with his passing Cochran continues to make a mark in this world.
"I only spent 10 or 15 minutes chatting with him but everybody that knew him spoke very highly of him," Courts said.
After serving in World War II, he's considered an hero. But what remains a mystery is where his family is.
"Evidently he outlived all of his family. We couldn't find any information in his house," said Courts.
Courts is the one who discovered Cochran had passed in his rocking chair.
"His caretaker said he had showed up, started fixing breakfast and noticed he hadn't moved and when he checked on him noticed he had passed sometime in the night," Courts said.
According to Courts, Cochran's records were lost in a fire in the 1970's.
"All we were able to get was he was under the VA care and he had served during World War II," said Courts.
Now Courts along with Kendall Watkins, also at Vidor PD, have stepped up to help raise over $3,000 in funeral costs.
"We would have tried to do this if he was a veteran or not. Nobody deserves to be forgotten," said Watkins.
Watkins says the community has also be a big help. Now they need the missing piece, Cochran's family.
"I hope that some day his family we find some of his family that didn't know," said Watkins.
They would like to give him a special gift.
"If they come, I would be happy to show him the pictures of him and have them take the flag," Watkins told 12News.
