Colonel Cook was born in Pennington, New Jersey, in 1921. He attended Randolph Macon Academy in Virginia and graduated Bucknell University in 1942. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1943. Upon completion of flight training, he was assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group in China. During his tour, he was promoted to Captain, became Operations Officer for the 74th Fighter Squadron flying P-40 Warhawks against the Japanese and was credited with 2.5 Japanese air to air kills and several ground kills of Japanese aircraft. Colonel Cook's career continued after the war with assignments at Las Vegas Army Air Field as a gunnery instructor; Shaw Field; The Citadel as a Tactical Officer and instructor; Korea; Myrtle Beach Air Force Base as Base Commander; and in Germany on the NATO War Planning Staff. He was a graduate of Command and Staff College and received numerous decorations from the Army Air Corps, United States Air Force, the Chinese government and the Korean government. He flew several aircraft in his career, including the T-6, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, P-80 and the T-39. He retired from the Pentagon in 1965 to Myrtle Beach, where he was a successful businessman and civic leader for more than 30 years. Colonel Cook served on Myrtle Beach City Council from 1973 -
1975.
Comments 0 comments