DB Cooper

[FLYJACK 727]

17 hours ago, Slylock said:

I learned recently there was an army air corps officer named Dan Cooper on Howland Island awaiting Amelia Earhart’s arrival.  I remember there being a lot of speculation about the Dan cooper comic book character as inspiration of the name being an important clue.  But I don’t remember ever hearing this Amelia Earhart connection being a possible clue.

Dan(iel) Cooper is actually a rare name..

It is extremely unlikely it was his real name..

So,

he either made it up completely

combined it, added the two names together from experience

he took the full name from his prior experience

 

In the ADD archive WW2 enlistment there are only 7 Dan Cooper's and 33 Daniel Cooper's.. 40 total

That is not very many... 16.4 million served in WW2,, not sure how complete the AAD database is..  but 40 seems really low.

[georger 248]

On 3/20/2025 at 6:34 PM, FLYJACK said:

Dan(iel) Cooper is actually a rare name..

It is extremely unlikely it was his real name..

So,

he either made it up completely

combined it, added the two names together from experience

he took the full name from his prior experience

 

In the ADD archive WW2 enlistment there are only 7 Dan Cooper's and 33 Daniel Cooper's.. 40 total

That is not very many... 16.4 million served in WW2,, not sure how complete the AAD database is..  but 40 seems really low.

Cooper means “barrel maker” and refers to those who made barrels, vats, casks, buckets, and other containers in Medieval England... name goes back in England to at least the 900s -1100s when people's names reflected what they did for a living. Many Indo European languages reflected what they did in life. The name Cooper has historical significance in early America and in Virginia specifically during the Revolutionary War. The Richards-Cooper name is almost synonymous with the the families who settled the first thirteen families (on Mandate from King George) in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia then rebelled against King George ... the socalled Fighting Quakers. There was a price on their heads! They defeated Lord Fairfax's troops in the Shenandoah Valley. The Cooper family has always distinguished itself as pioneers, developers, educators, innovators, etc. After the Revolutionary War, Johnathan Cooper of Star Tannery VA built wagons and moved families west to Ohio and then moved his family to the Ioway Territory c1830-40 ... 

Weinberg had something in mind when he chose the name Cooper for his heroic comic figure ??? Heroic figures that make special history ?  The hijacker chose the name for some reason! That is almost guaranteed ... for some in some regions the name is historically associated with rebellion and noteworthy historical achievement. That's just a historical fact. Maybe Weinberg and Cooper knew something about American history ?  Specifically Virginia and Midwest American history ?

Edited March 25 by georger

[FLYJACK 727]

10 hours ago, georger said:

Cooper means “barrel maker” and refers to those who made barrels, vats, casks, buckets, and other containers in Medieval England... name goes back in England to at least the 900s -1100s when people's names reflected what they did for a living. Many Indo European languages reflected what they did in life. The name Cooper has historical significance in early America and in Virginia specifically during the Revolutionary War. The Richards-Cooper name is almost synonymous with the the families who settled the first thirteen families (on Mandate from King George) in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia then rebelled against King George ... the socalled Fighting Quakers. There was a price on their heads! They defeated Lord Fairfax's troops in the Shenandoah Valley. The Cooper family has always distinguished itself as pioneers, developers, educators, innovators, etc. After the Revolutionary War, Johnathan Cooper of Star Tannery VA built wagons and moved families west to Ohio and then moved his family to the Ioway Territory c1830-40 ... 

Weinberg had something in mind when he chose the name Cooper for his heroic comic figure ??? Heroic figures that make special history ?  The hijacker chose the name for some reason! That is almost guaranteed ... for some in some regions the name is historically associated with rebellion and noteworthy historical achievement. That's just a historical fact. Maybe Weinberg and Cooper knew something about American history ?  Specifically Virginia and Midwest American history ?

I believe Weinberg took the name from a US test pilot George Cooper.

[georger 248]

11 hours ago, FLYJACK said:

I believe Weinberg took the name from a US test pilot George Cooper.

There you go - - - - not your typical 'joe blow' from kokomoh but a mission-specific title. A stereotype with a whole set of specific traits and history. An archetype with specific special traits, skills, and history! Not your average guy. 

The hijacker knew what he was doing. No way he did not know what he was doing was special and would have historical consequence. He apparently chooses a name that has real social meaning .... by accident or otherwise. He did not walk up to the ticket agent and say: "I am General Eisenhower" but he might as well have.

What's in a name ? Everything or nothing...

Cooper family members took note if nobody else did, and asked: "what in hell is this!?"

Edited March 26 by georger

[georger 248]

6 hours ago, georger said:

There you go - - - - not your typical 'joe blow' from kokomoh but a mission-specific title. A stereotype with a whole set of specific traits and history. An archetype with specific special traits, skills, and history! Not your average guy. 

The hijacker knew what he was doing. No way he did not know what he was doing was special and would have historical consequence. He apparently chooses a name that has real social meaning .... by accident or otherwise. He did not walk up to the ticket agent and say: "I am General Eisenhower" but he might as well have.

What's in a name ? Everything or nothing...

Cooper family members took note if nobody else did, and asked: "what in hell is this!?"

The hijacker's choice of Cooper could be further evidence that DB Cooper had in fact, a Midwest connection. He told Tina that 'Minnesota is fine country' ? Or something to that affect. What is the basis for his comment, if any ?

[FLYJACK 727]

1 hour ago, georger said:

The hijacker's choice of Cooper could be further evidence that DB Cooper had in fact, a Midwest connection. He told Tina that 'Minnesota is fine country' ? Or something to that affect. What is the basis for his comment, if any ?

"very nice country"

In the 60's "Minnesota nice" was a subtle form of racism...

[georger 248]

9 minutes ago, FLYJACK said:

"very nice country"

In the 60's "Minnesota nice" was a subtle form of racism...

laughing ....    Cooper's statement could have been 100% gratuitous. Just passing time and gas ....

Edited March 26 by georger

[FLYJACK 727]

26 minutes ago, georger said:

laughing ....    Cooper's statement could have been 100% gratuitous. Just passing time and gas ....

Maybe, maybe not....

[FLYJACK 727]

"very nice country" came from Tina's interview so we don't even know if those were Cooper's exact words..

We will never know what Cooper really meant... 

I don't know of Minnesota being particular "nice" country, geographically. After searching I haven't found it described as "nice country".. but I donl't know that area.

The phrase "Minnesota nice" was common to describe the behavioural characteristics of the people.

It is interesting that "Minnesota nice" in the 1960's was a racist thing... People would be nice and polite but covertly racist... masking their racism..  Later, well after NORJAK the State used the term Minnesota Nice to promote it and redefined it without the racism... So, the term was redefined to just mean the politeness of the people. 

Maybe it was a throw away line from Cooper, or maybe he was referring to the common racist term at the time "Minnesota Nice"..  we will never know.

[georger 248]

On 3/26/2025 at 7:23 AM, FLYJACK said:

"very nice country" came from Tina's interview so we don't even know if those were Cooper's exact words..

We will never know what Cooper really meant... 

I don't know of Minnesota being particular "nice" country, geographically. After searching I haven't found it described as "nice country".. but I donl't know that area.

The phrase "Minnesota nice" was common to describe the behavioural characteristics of the people.

It is interesting that "Minnesota nice" in the 1960's was a racist thing... People would be nice and polite but covertly racist... masking their racism..  Later, well after NORJAK the State used the term Minnesota Nice to promote it and redefined it without the racism... So, the term was redefined to just mean the politeness of the people. 

Maybe it was a throw away line from Cooper, or maybe he was referring to the common racist term at the time "Minnesota Nice"..  we will never know.

Very simply, Cooper did not say "Minnesota nice". He said Minnesota is nice country, referring to its land, vista, territorial makeup . . . had he spent time in Minnesota or over it? Nice in contrast to what? Minnesota stands out because its water - lakes etc. Mexico by contrast has no water! ?

[FLYJACK 727]

2 hours ago, georger said:

Very simply, Cooper did not say "Minnesota nice". He said Minnesota is nice country, referring to its land, vista, territorial makeup . . . had he spent time in Minnesota or over it? Nice in contrast to what? Minnesota stands out because its water - lakes etc. Mexico by contrast has no water! ?

That is an assumption....   we don't know what he meant.

[georger 248]

On 3/27/2025 at 5:31 PM, FLYJACK said:

That is an assumption....   we don't know what he meant.

We know what conversational English means! Cooper seemed fluent in English whatever his background was. Everything is an assumption. People use languages to remove assumptions. By all accounts Cooper was fluent enough to convey what he meant vs. what you say he meant. People can conjure up all the things he might of meant or what you say he meant. Taken to its limit you are the only true interpreter of what DB Cooper meant and did. That could lead to you being the only person on Earth who can know who Cooper was, what he did and said, and why he hijacked at all. Please tell us! 

[FLYJACK 727]

4 hours ago, georger said:

We know what conversational English means! Cooper seemed fluent in English whatever his background was. Everything is an assumption. People use languages to remove assumptions. By all accounts Cooper was fluent enough to convey what he meant vs. what you say he meant. People can conjure up all the things he might of meant or what you say he meant. Taken to its limit you are the only true interpreter of what DB Cooper meant and did. That could lead to you being the only person on Earth who can know who Cooper was, what he did and said, and why he hijacked at all. Please tell us! 

No, it isn't that simple and you are falsely claiming that I know what he meant, then using that as a straw-man. I never claimed that I know what he meant. I said we don't know. You claim to know what he meant but you don't really.

He could have been referring the geography or the characteristics of the people..

 

Was Minnesota known as a nice "geography",,  not that I know of.

Was Minnesota known as having people described as nice,,, absolutely.

I am just pointing out that through the 60's Minnesota "nice" was a popular description of the people and it was a racist thing, later the racist thing was erased.

If Cooper was referring to the people of Minnesota rather than the geography then that would be what they call in the sleuthing business as a "clue".

 

Edited March 30 by FLYJACK

[73blazer 1]

14 hours ago, FLYJACK said:

Was Minnesota known as a nice "geography",,  not that I know of.

 

What are you talking about, Minnesota has beautiful geography! Far beyond "nice".

[FLYJACK 727]

4 hours ago, 73blazer said:

What are you talking about, Minnesota has beautiful geography! Far beyond "nice".

It wasn't a common description...  

[georger 248]

50 minutes ago, FLYJACK said:

It wasn't a common description...  

Cooper did not say "Minnesota nice" !

Minnesota nice has nothing to do with anything. It is NOT what Cooper said and having to deal with it is a total waste of time ... 

Edited Sunday at 07:17 PM by georger

[FLYJACK 727]

1 hour ago, georger said:

Cooper did not say "Minnesota nice" !

Minnesota nice has nothing to do with anything. It is NOT what Cooper said and having to deal with it is a total waste of time ... 

Oh brother,,

You don't know what Cooper said or meant.

Edited Sunday at 08:25 PM by FLYJACK

[BRafferty 0]

On 3/20/2025 at 7:34 PM, FLYJACK said:

Dan(iel) Cooper is actually a rare name..

It is extremely unlikely it was his real name..

So,

he either made it up completely

combined it, added the two names together from experience

he took the full name from his prior experience

 

In the ADD archive WW2 enlistment there are only 7 Dan Cooper's and 33 Daniel Cooper's.. 40 total

That is not very many... 16.4 million served in WW2,, not sure how complete the AAD database is..  but 40 seems really low.

Fly,

There are 30 Daniel Coopers just in Wyoming, 110 in Alaska, 120 in Vermont. There are 8 Daniel Coopers in freaking Guam.

Guam.

Also 5,378 in Pennsylvania alone. Daniel was the 12th most common baby name in the 1970's and Cooper was likely in the top 50 surnames. (70th now)

This year's Best Actor winner at the Oscars played a character named Dan Cooper in a horror movie.

Just saying it's not rare now and was less rare then. I have Daniels and Coopers in my own family.

[georger 248]

12 hours ago, FLYJACK said:

Oh brother,,

You don't know what Cooper said or meant.

And neither do you!

Edited Monday at 08:58 AM by georger

[FLYJACK 727]

10 hours ago, BRafferty said:

Fly,

There are 30 Daniel Coopers just in Wyoming, 110 in Alaska, 120 in Vermont. There are 8 Daniel Coopers in freaking Guam.

Guam.

Also 5,378 in Pennsylvania alone. Daniel was the 12th most common baby name in the 1970's and Cooper was likely in the top 50 surnames. (70th now)

This year's Best Actor winner at the Oscars played a character named Dan Cooper in a horror movie.

Just saying it's not rare now and was less rare then. I have Daniels and Coopers in my own family.

Currently.. 

For reference, the data I posted was WW2 enlistment,,, Cooper's age and likely environment.

It was a somewhat rare name then only 40.. Dan/Daniel Cooper together.. I have checked old phone directories as well, not common.

So, no the facts don't fit your assertion.. at least for WW2 enlistment at only 40 that is rare..  less than expected.

You seem to be conflating the first and last names as separate.. 

Edited Monday at 02:13 PM by FLYJACK

[FLYJACK 727]

5 hours ago, georger said:

And neither do you!

Well, Captain obvious strikes again.. how do you do it.

I have always said we don't know what he meant, you and others have claimed to know what he meant. Not me. 

"Minnesota nice" is the concept, the people would be described as "nice". Nobody would use the phrase "Minnesota nice". They would just call them "nice"..

If Tina was accurate and Cooper did say "Minnesota is nice country" that could mean geographically or the characteristics of the people. 

and again, we don't know what Cooper actually meant.

But, using "nice" to describe the people was far more common then than calling the geography "nice".

And, through the 60's "Minnesota nice" had a racial reference.  

 

[FLYJACK 727]

For Federal BOP..

0 "Dan Cooper" since 1982

7 "Daniel Cooper" since 1982

Only 1 "Daniel Cooper" currently incarcerated out of 144,000 males.

The name is not as common as it would seem.

[georger 248]

6 hours ago, FLYJACK said:

Well, Captain obvious strikes again.. how do you do it.

I have always said we don't know what he meant, you and others have claimed to know what he meant. Not me. 

"Minnesota nice" is the concept, the people would be described as "nice". Nobody would use the phrase "Minnesota nice". They would just call them "nice"..

If Tina was accurate and Cooper did say "Minnesota is nice country" that could mean geographically or the characteristics of the people. 

and again, we don't know what Cooper actually meant.

But, using "nice" to describe the people was far more common then than calling the geography "nice".

And, through the 60's "Minnesota nice" had a racial reference.  

 

Well your dates are off! Your theory is nonsense.

The phrase "Minnesota Nice" gained popularity in the mid-1980s, with its first documented appearance in a newspaper in 1986. It was further popularized by cultural figures like Garrison Keillor through works such as A Prairie Home Companion and Howard Mohr's 1987 book How to Talk Minnesotan. However, its origins are tied to the state's Scandinavian immigrant heritage and agrarian history, reflecting values of politeness, emotional restraint, and aversion to confrontation

Meaning of "Minnesota Nice":
The term describes a cultural stereotype of Minnesotans as polite, reserved, and mild-mannered. It encompasses behaviors such as friendliness, self-deprecation, and avoidance of direct conflict. While often seen as genuine kindness—helping neighbors or refraining from honking—it is also criticized for masking passive-aggression and emotional aloofness. Some view it as a facade rather than true niceness

. Scandinavian influences emphasize humility and community over individualism, shaping this cultural norm.

Minnesota Nice did not even exist for Cooper to use in 1971. It hadnt been invented and popularised yet to be in the pubic consciousness, for Cooper or anyone else to use! So your theory is nonsense.

"Dan Cooper" was inspired by a comic book hero popular in Europe during the mid-20th century, which may explain its use as an alias but not as a common given name. Agent Carr has suggested that DB Cooper got his name from the comic book.

You are beating a dead horse which has no factual reality ! Take your loss for once and drop this nonsense.

Edited Monday at 08:07 PM by georger

[FLYJACK 727]

3 hours ago, georger said:

Well your dates are off! Your theory is nonsense.

The phrase "Minnesota Nice" gained popularity in the mid-1980s, with its first documented appearance in a newspaper in 1986. It was further popularized by cultural figures like Garrison Keillor through works such as A Prairie Home Companion and Howard Mohr's 1987 book How to Talk Minnesotan. However, its origins are tied to the state's Scandinavian immigrant heritage and agrarian history, reflecting values of politeness, emotional restraint, and aversion to confrontation

Meaning of "Minnesota Nice":
The term describes a cultural stereotype of Minnesotans as polite, reserved, and mild-mannered. It encompasses behaviors such as friendliness, self-deprecation, and avoidance of direct conflict. While often seen as genuine kindness—helping neighbors or refraining from honking—it is also criticized for masking passive-aggression and emotional aloofness. Some view it as a facade rather than true niceness

. Scandinavian influences emphasize humility and community over individualism, shaping this cultural norm.

Minnesota Nice did not even exist for Cooper to use in 1971. It hadnt been invented and popularised yet to be in the pubic consciousness, for Cooper or anyone else to use! So your theory is nonsense.

"Dan Cooper" was inspired by a comic book hero popular in Europe during the mid-20th century, which may explain its use as an alias but not as a common given name. Agent Carr has suggested that DB Cooper got his name from the comic book.

You are beating a dead horse which has no factual reality ! Take your loss for once and drop this nonsense.

You are WRONG,,  and so is Olemiss for liking it.. of course, he has his own problem with misinformation..  and cheers anything that challenges me even when it is false..

DO YOUR HOMEWORK KIDS... Confirmation Bias can bite you...

What a bunch of amateurs.... the term was later revised to strip out the racial aspect. That is what your quoted passage is referring to. The revised version.

 

https://www.twincities.com/2017/06/29/letter-revisiting-minnesota-nice/

 

"While it’s somehow been co-opted to trumpet the goodness of our people, the term was never meant as a compliment. “Minnesota Nice” was coined in the 1960s to describe the kind of racism practiced in Northern states. The term denotes an attitude that says, “Welcome to the neighborhood, but I already have all the friends I need.” It’s an attitude that settles for tolerance — similar to that afforded mosquitoes in the summer — rather than acceptance and inclusion. It’s an agreement to a parallel, rather than an integrated, co-existence."

 

and stop wasting my time with your misinformation...
 

It is clear none of you guys understand the subject and nobody except Cooper actually knows what he meant. So, you have no argument.

Edited Monday at 10:10 PM by FLYJACK

[olemisscub 521]

So you find an OP-ED from 2017 simply claiming it started in the 60's and that's your proof that it predates the 80's? And we're the amateurs? I'd think an honest researcher such as yourself would use contemporary evidence from before Nov 24, 1971 to refute Georger's claim and not the word of a dude writing into a newspaper in 2017. 

Newspapers dot com doesn't have jack squat about "Minnesota Nice" before the 80's. If you can provide some actual proof of your assertion that it predates NORJAK, I'm sure we'll all admit to being wrong (something you continue to be pathologically incapable of doing).