Every now and then someone asks who I am. For several years I resisted posting an autobiographic page because I had seen a large number of them, and I believe most folks don't care to see photos of someone's kids or the family pet. Of course, if these home-spun pages are for the purpose of helping the individual learn HTML, then I somewhat understand.
I first wrote these words in 1997, on the 53rd anniversary of my birth in Cleveland, Ohio. I grew up in that state, finally graduating second in my class of 31 students from Chalker High School, Southington, Ohio, in 1961, where I had been a member of the Beta Club and the National Honor Society (and attended Buckeye Boys State in 1960). Although accepted into an honors program by Kent State University, I spent the next 20 years of my life on active duty with the United States Air Force, where I learned both Russian and Czech. I am ashamed to say that I have forgotten most of my Czech, even though I completed the course at the Defense Language Institute with very high grades. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages from the University of Maryland. (Yes, I am just plain "Mister", not "Doctor," Cochrun).
While stationed in West Berlin, I became interested in Soviet aircraft, shining glints of which I could see in the sky over the city. From time-to-time their sonic booms nearly deafened us. So I took up modeling them in plastic from kits. As with many model builders, research into the aircraft became an avocation. In fact, I haven't built a model in years, although I still buy the kits. Someday I intend to build them all, to the high standards required for entry into the competitions held by the International Plastic Modelers Society, of which I once was a member of the U.S.A. branch, but over time and because other activities, I have allowed my membership to lapse.
After I retired from the Air Force in 1981, I went to work for the Department of Defense, where I served in various organizations. From February 1999 until July 2000, I worked under contract as an Internet Research Specialist for a major U.S. aerospace firm.
Because of my interest in languages, I was asked to obtain a list of conferences for linguists. What began as help for a few folks turned into an interesting, albeit time-consuming task that I can no longer support. I also consider myself something of a historian, concentrating of course on the Soviet/Russian aircraft, their designers, and their test pilots. I had been acting as a translator and technical advisor for George John Geiger when he passed away before he completed his multi-volume history on the aircraft. George had been a free-lance magazine writer; I believe that his last aircraft article was about the Yak-141.
From 2000 to the present time, I have been a free-lance translator of Russian into English, specializing in handwritten documents, cancer research studies, history, and so forth. For the first time in 2005, I had the opportunity to translate a book from Russian into English for the author of that book, "The Medieval Empire of the Israelites." The book takes a different look at history. Please note if you read this translation that I did NOT use the word "photographies" for the caption for the photos of the Colossi of Memnon on page 156. Someone changed it.
Since that time I have translated the Yuri Tsyp novellas written by Boris Shchiglik and "The Jews and Their Role in Our World" by Vladimir Minkov, PhD, as well as other tracts and book chapters.
I am married, have two daughters and five surviving grandchildren. Chase, named after my late father, and Aileen, are Terri's, while Owen, Aaron and Noah are Kelly's. We lost Harry, Terri's youngest, very sadly due to an undiagnosed heart condition in April 2018.
It is September 2018. I am 74 already.. Chase is now in the Marine Reserves. Aileen is divorced and has a daughter and a boy. (Yes, I am a great-grandfather). Only Noah remains to graduate high school, which will be spring of 2019. Where has the time gone?!?
Please note: I chose most of the links on this page at random. In particular, I do not endorse any commercial sites, except my own, of course. They are linked simply to give readers additional places to go in their web surfing.
Text last updated 08 September 2018.
Links last updated 17 September 2018.