Robert M. Cole was born in 1922 in Washington. He resided in Pierce County, Washington prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 11, 1942 in Seattle, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a lumbermen and also as Single, without dependents. Robert served as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on C-46A #42-96713, 2nd Transport Squadron, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #42-96713 took off, with a crew of 4, from Luliang, China on a cargo mission to Hsingching, China. They were last contacted by radio stating they were over Ipin, China. The were not seen nor heard from again. The entire crew was lost, it was December 16, 1944. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 17, 1945, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Robert was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov