Donald Cook (Medal of Honor recipient)
| Donald Cook | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Birth name | Donald Gilbert Cook |
| Born |
August 9, 1934 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | December 8, 1967 (aged 33) Republic of Vietnam |
| Memorial | Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Years of service | 1956–1967 |
| Rank | Colonel (posthumous) |
| Unit |
3rd Marine Division MACV |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War † |
| Awards |
Medal of Honor Purple Heart (2) |
Donald Gilbert Cook (August 9, 1934 – December 8, 1967) was a United States Marine Corps officer and a Medal of Honor recipient.
Donald Cook was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Xavier High School in New York City and St. Michael's College in Vermont. In 1956 he enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private but was quickly sent for officer training at the OCS in Quantico, Virginia. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1957. He held a series of assignments in the Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam in late 1964, where he served as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Division until he was wounded and captured by the Viet Cong several weeks later. He was held as a prisoner of war by the Viet Cong in the Republic of Vietnam from December 31, 1964 until his death from malaria at age 33. He was posthumously promoted from Captain to Colonel.
Although his body was never recovered, his official memorial stone (cenotaph) can be found in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, Memorial Section MI Lot 110.
The United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) is named in his honor.
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