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Up O'Christie (2) O'Christie (3)
 

CAPT JERRY F O'CHRISTIE (3)

Officer Search Continues
   Another body has been recovered from Kentucky Lake near Paris Landing, According to military and civilian authorities at the scene of the search which has
been going on since four Fort Campbell officers drowned while fishing on Sunday, March 8.
   Information received by this newspaper said another body, presumed to be that of one of the missing officers from Fort Campbell; was discovered and removed from the lake about 8:45 today.
  Discovery of the body was made by searchers who have been conducting an aerial search of the area since the four men drowned on March 6. One body was recovered on Tuesday of this week near Pine Bluff, Tenn., In the Ginger Creek area.
   Tuesday's body was Identified as that of Capt. Thomas A. Sims, Wilmington, Delaware, and was found by Lester and R. P.. Wofford. Route 1, Stewart, Tenn.
   According to Information from the Public Information Office at Fort Campbell, the four officers left the Fort on Sunday afternoon, March 6, and they were last (Continued on page 9)

Body - - - (Continued from page 1) seen on Kentucky Lake after having rented a. boat at Leatherwood Boat Dock near Paris Landing.
   Also missing and presumed drowned, were Capt. Jerry S. O'Christie, Richmond, Va.; Lt. Cossie B. Exum, Elmwood, Mass.; and WO James E. Collier, Batesville, Miss., all of whom were attached to the 408th Airborne
Quartermaster Company.
   According to officials at the scene this morning, members of the ambulance and ground search crews from Fort Campbell recovered the body, and sent it on it's way to the Fort for positive identification.
  The search continue for the other two officers' bodies, said Public Information Officials at the Fort. The Coast
Guard today recovered the body of Capt. Jerry F. O'Chrlstie of Richmond, Va., one of four Ft. Campbell, Ky., officers believed drowned March 6 in Kentucky Lake. The body of Capt. Thomas A. Sims, Wilmington, Del., was found Monday. Still missing from the fishing trip are 1st Lt. Cossie E. Exum, Elmwood. Mass., and Warrant Officer James E. Collier, Batesville, Miss.
[The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, TN, 30 Mar 1955, Wed, Pages 1 and 9]

3rd Body Recovered Of Missing Anglers
   FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - The body of Warrant Officer James E. Collier, 39. missing since March 7. after a fishing trip to Kentucky Lake,
was found yesterday by the coast guard near Paris Landing.
   Collier, from Batesville, Miss., along with three other officers. left Fort Campbell early March 6 and were last seen on the lake after having rented two boats.
   All four officers were assigned to the 408th airborne quartermaster quartermaster company.
   Collier's body was the third to be recovered to date. The others were those of Capt. Thomas A Sims. 27, Wilmington. Del., and Capt Jerry F. O Christie, 32, of Richmond. Va. Still missing is the body of Lt Cossie R. Exum, 24, of Elmood, Mass.
   Collier is survived by his widow, Mrs. Glenna Collier and three children. children. Pamela. 9; Patti, 7. and Penny. 4. all of 119 Church St, Batesville.

[The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, 04 Apr 1955, Mon, Page 9]

Captain's Body Taken From Lake
The body of Capt. Jerry F. O'Christie, 33, of Ft. Campbell, Ky., was recovered Wednesday from Kentucky lake where he and three other officers of the Army base were believed drowned in a fishing accident March 6.  His wife, Marjorie, is a native Daytonian.
   Word came to Dayton Friday, through Mrs. O'Cristie's brother, George O'Brien of 1408 Jordan av.
   The body of a second officer on the fishing trip was recovered Monday from the lake. Details of the accident were lacking as Kentucky authorities did not know what had happened. Search for the bodies was delayed by bad weather and more bodies are yet to be recovered.
  Servcies and burial will be held on a military base in
Richmond, Va., Sunday, for Capt. O'Christie.

[Dayton Daily News, Dayton, OH, 02 Apr 1955, Sat, Other Editions, Page 4]

[Jumpmaster Note:  despite the multi-state attention given to this tragedy, no mention of the recovery of the body of Lt Cossie R. Exum was found.  We did determine, however, that although he was from Massachusetts, is buried in the Old Section, Garden of Faith, Lot 1078 Center 1/3., Orange Hill Cemetery, Tampa (Hillsborough county), FL]

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