EXUM, 1ST LT. COSSIE RAY

   Funeral services for 1st Lt. Cossie Ray Exum. age 26, resident of 609 Vanderbaker Rd., Tampa, who passed away Monday at Fort Campbell, Ky., will be held Saturday morning at 10 o'clock from the chapel of Jennings Funeral Home, with full military honors furnished by MacDill Air Force Base.. Interment will be in Orange Hill Cemetery. He is survived by his widow, Charlotte June Exum; a daughter, Sandra June Exum, and a son, Barry Kay Exum; his mother, Mrs. Mildred Vincent; two sisters, Mrs. Betty Jo Matthews and Mrs. Mary-Lon Gleaton, all of Tampa.

[The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Fl, 08 Apr 1955, Fri, Page 2]

4 Army Officers Believed Drowned
    FT; CAMPBELL, Ky., March 8 (AP) --- Four officers from the 408th Airborne Quartermaster Company were reported missing and believed drowned today on a fishing trip at Kentucky Lake. . The men were identified as Cant. Jerry F. O'Christie. 32, Richmond, Va.; Capt. Thomas A. Sims, 27, Wilmington, Del.; 1st Lt. Cossie R. Exum. 24. Elmwood, Mass.; Warrant Officer James E. Collier, 33, Batesville, Miss.

The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, 09 Mar 1955, Wed, Page 13]

[courtesy of John Keeth]

Application for a grave marker and resulting marker for Cossie Ray Exum. in Old Section (Garden of Faith), Lot 1078, Center 1/3, Orange Hill Cemetery, Tampa (Hillsborough county), Florida.

Cossie served in the US Navy under serial nr 447-01-587 during WWII but after his release from duty following the war, he enlisted in the US Army under ASN 14290607 on 20 August 1948.  HE was honorably discharged on 7 October 1950 and re-enlisted the following day. He again discharged on 7/ November 1952 to accept a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant on 8 November 1952.

By the time of his death less than 2 and 1/2 yhears later, he had been promoted to 1st lt.

Death certificate issue at US Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY.  Note that while the certificate mentions "last seen 6 March 1955", the recovery date of 4 April become the official date of death.

Ossie's body was the last of the 5 to be recovered.