William Derwood Cann, Jr.
| William Derwood Cann Jr. | |
|---|---|
|
Mayor of Monroe, Ouachita Parish Louisiana, USA |
|
|
In office October 1978 – April 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | W. L. "Jack" Howard |
| Succeeded by | Robert E. "Bob" Powell |
| Member of the Monroe City School Board | |
|
In office 1968–1972 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 12, 1919 |
| Died | July 12, 2010 (aged 90) Monroe, Louisiana |
| Resting place | Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Arabella Bancroft Cann |
| Children |
Vada Montgomery |
| Alma mater |
Ouachita Parish High School |
| Occupation |
United States Army officer |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army United States Army Reserve
|
| Years of service | 1943–1956 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Colonel
|
| Unit | 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | |
September 12, 1919
Esperance Plantation
Vada Montgomery
Arabella Cann
Ouachita Parish High School
University of Louisiana at Monroe
United States Army officer
William Derwood Cann Jr. (September 12, 1919 – July 12, 2010), was a World War II lieutenant colonel who subsequently became a college professor, manufacturing executive, and the interim mayor of Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
Cann was born on the Esperance Plantation near Monroe, one of five children of William Cann Sr. and the former Lodi DeSeay. He attended Ouachita Parish High School from 1933 to 1937. Thereafter he studied from 1937 to 1938 at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then known as Ouachita Parish Junior College. In 1938, he enrolled at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, from which he received his bachelor's degree in 1942. At the age of seventeen, Cann joined the Louisiana Army National Guard, in which he became cadet captain.
Cann was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at LSU. From 1943 until 1945, he was a paratrooper, unit commander, and staff officer with the 101st Airborne Division in the European Theater of Operations, with participation at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and other locations. In 1946, he became an aide de camp with the 82nd Airborne Division to Major General James M. Gavin, who was known for his unleashing of paratroopers during World War II. After the war, Cann served in many military capacities including the training of Turkish troops headed to the Korean War. He received many military commendations: the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, both with Oak leaf cluster, World War II Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, and the Presidential Unit Citation. He retired from the Army in 1956.
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