(regal military music) - [Bob] He just loved life so much and loved the country.

And he was just gonna do everything that he could to do his part for the war effort.

I just think he left that type of a legacy for us and the rest of the country.

(music continues) - [Narrator] In June, 1944, Jack Cooper was a spirited member of Air Squadron 15, a US Navy unit stationed on the USS Essex in the Pacific Fleet.

When the Elkhart, Indiana native enlisted in 1942, he left behind his family and his fiance, Helen, whom he affectionately called "Big Eyes."

(military drum music) The Essex stalks the battle torn waters near the Bonin Islands.

Squadron 15's assignment, to soften up the Japanese air fortress at Iwo Jima with aerial assaults.

- They were making a run down the airfield and the artillery there hit the aircraft and caused some damage.

But, even though they were damaged to some extent, they continued their bombing and strafing runs even though they were crippled, they kept making their runs until the aircraft just conked out completely and they glided off into the ocean.

(plane crashes loudly) - [Narrator] Squadron Commander W.G Lambert reported that three men climbed aboard a life raft.

Pilot Ted Sterling, Ordnanceman Murphy "Git" Gittelson, and radio gunnery man, Jack Cooper.

But high seas and fierce fighting prevented a rescue attempt by US Naval forces.

- They was in hopes that they would maybe make land someplace, and even though it was Japanese held territory at the time, they thought, "Well, they might be safe and get into some land."

But that never happened.

(melancholy orchestral music) - [Narrator] Overhead, as the skies roared with the sounds of Japanese Nell Warbirds, the three US Navy Airmen drifted helplessly away from shore, the tide sweeping them out to sea.

- You gotta understand that a small rubber life raft floating around in the Pacific Ocean is like a needle in a haystack.

And it's almost impossible to find them or to see 'em.

(melancholy orchestral music) - [Narrator] Two weeks passed and the scorching summer sun was unrelenting.

As he grew weaker, Jack Cooper realized that these were perhaps his final days.

- He decided that he'd better start keeping some kind of a journal or a diary.

And the only thing that he could find was his billfold.

And in the survival kit that he had, there was also some safety pins.

So he decided that he would take a safety pin and start scratching information on the leaves of his billfold.

(water swishing) - [Jack] "July 6th, a piece of shrapnel and compass case hit our plane.

I love Mom, Dad, and all.

Wish I could eat some of her cooking.

Tell Helen I found God.

Be happy, love.

(doleful music) July 8th.

Weak.

Git and Sterling nearly gone.

Can't catch fish.

No rain.

Love, to Big Eyes."

- [Narrator] For several desperate days, pilot Ted Sterling drank from the lethal salt waters of the Pacific until it drove him mad.

- [Jack] "July 9th, Sterling jumped into water this morning.

Gittelson died last night.

Headed west.

Weak.

(melancholy music) - [Narrator] In the blazing heat, with no land in sight, Jack Cooper was now alone.

Three days later, more calamity struck.

(plane engine roars) (machine gun fires rapidly) - [Jack] "July 12th, Jap Nell saw me, strafed.

Hit me in both legs, bandaged them.

Drifting east.

(water swooshes) July 13th.

Very weak from loss of blood.

No land in sight.

No food since the fourth.

Six ounces of water left.

(ocean crashes) - [Bob] When you're out on the raft after being out there for several weeks and losing your crew mates, and then have the Japanese come down and try to kill you, try to shoot you.

And you're kind of at everybody's mercy on a small raft with hardly any provisions.

And it was, had to have been a very, very tough time for anybody.

(guns fire) - [Jack] "July 14th.

Very weak.

Won't last over today.

Plenty of fish but can't sit up.

If this is my last day, tell my Big Eyes to be happy with someone else.

I've always loved her.

Same for you, Mom and Dad , and all.

God bless you all."

- Although he was getting very weak from loss of blood and having had very, very little food or hardly any water, he still woke up and said, inscribed on the, his diary, on his wallet as "Surprise, I'm still alive."

And that was the last entry that he made.

(military trumpet) - [Narrator] Jack made his final diary entry on July 15th, 1944.

One month to the day of his ill-fated mission.

He died just four days before an American submarine, the USS Tinosa, surfaced during an undersea battle and discovered the rubber raft and its sole lifeless passenger.

- One of the nice things, nice compliments that was paid to him was, was by the commander of the submarine that picked him up.

'Cause he commented the fact that he was proud to call Jack (trumpet continues) a member of his fighting fraternity.

Proud to call him an officer and a gentleman.

I think that says a lot.

(military drums) (upbeat music) For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.