Donald Cook is a United States Marine Corps officer who died in captivity in the Vietnam War in 1967. The famous American destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) of the US Navy is named after the hero. This is the twenty-fifth unit of the most massive post-war series of American warships.
Donald Cook biography
Study and youth of the hero
The famous Donald Cook, full name Donald Gilbert Cook, was born on August 9, 1934 in the densely populated Brooklyn area of New York City (USA). He graduated from Xavier School for Gifted Children and College in Vermont, located in New England in the northeastern United States.
Service career in the Marine Corps
In 1956, after completing his studies, Donald enlisted as a civilian in the Marines of the US Armed Forces, from where he was sent to an officer's school in Quantico, Virginia. A year later he easily received the rank of second lieutenant. He has held several positions in the United States Marine Corps.
Litigation of a prisoner of war captain
In 1964, Captain Donald Cook was sent to Vietnam, where he served as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Division. In one of the operations, he was wounded and captured by the Viet Cong (National Liberation Front of South Vietnam), where he was held as a prisoner of war in a rebel camp in the Republic of Vietnam. Despite the fact that he declared himself the headman of the prisoners of war, in order to thus achieve a more severe attitude towards himself. Colonel (then Captain) Donald Cook established himself as the senior prisoner, although in reality he was not. In captivity, Captain Donald Cook, as an officer, was kept in better conditions than ordinary army men. At the risk of catching an infection, he helped his comrades with whatever he could, took out and passed medicines to the wounded. Through his activities, Donald Cook made a great contribution to the reputation of the American fighter. He won the respect, not only of his colleagues, but also of the Vietnamese guards. The hero deliberately refused his release until the end of the Vietnam War.
Donald Cook honors and awards
- Hero of the Vietnam War, Donald Cook was posthumously promoted from captain to lieutenant colonel.
- Awarded the Medal of Honor by the United States High Command for courage and fearlessness, risking his life and fulfilling his call of duty.
- Donald Cook's official cenotaph can be found at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
- The United States Navy names the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) missile destroyer.
- The hall in the Center for Military Translators in two thousand and fourteen was named after Donald Cook.
- Prestigious St Michael's College Alumni Award named. The Donald Cook Award recognizes alumni for selfless service to others. This is the most prestigious award for college graduates.
- The Donald Cook Prize, sponsored by the National Defense Intelligence Association, is presented annually. She is portrayed to officers of the United States Marine Corps with the formulation "for high professionalism and exceptional dedication to service in the Marine Corps and military intelligence."
- The "tree of freedom", planted on the lawn of parliament in Vermont, is named after the hero.
American destroyer "Donald Cook"
Americans have their own national heroes, and they name one or another cruiser, frigate or destroyer after them. In honor of Donald Cook, the twenty-fifth unit of the most massive post-war series of American warships was named. The American destroyer "Donald Cook" became famous all over the world. This ship is quite new, equipped with everything necessary, and despite the fact that its dimensions are not record-breaking, it could symbolize the naval power of the United States of America. This is the most massive post-war ship with a displacement of more than five thousand tons. Since one thousand eighty-eighth year, sixty-two were built, thirteen more are planned.
The Donald Cook is a fourth generation United States Navy destroyer. The main weapon of the Cook is the Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to two and a half thousand kilometers, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In conventional and strike versions, the destroyer is equipped with fifty-six or ninety-six such missiles, respectively. The ship took part in the American invasion of Iraq in the spring of two thousand and three. Since two thousand and fourteenth, the destroyer is included in the Sixth Fleet of the United States Navy. In the same year, the ship sailed to the Black Sea and conducted joint maneuvers with the Romanian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian Naval Forces. In two thousand and sixteen, the destroyer ship "Donald Cook" made a voyage to the Baltic Sea with a visit to the Lithuanian Klaipeda.
Since two thousand nineteen, the destroyer has been participating in joint exercises with the fleets of France and Spain. In February 1919 he arrived at the port of Odessa. On board the destroyer, a meeting was held between the representative of the United States Department of State for Ukraine Kurt Volcker and the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
Personal life of a Vietnam War hero
Donald Cook died in captivity on December 8, 1967 at the age of thirty-three, presumably from malaria. Even in the homeland of this hero, there is no consensus about how just this war was. Although his body has not been found, his official memorial (cenotaph) can be found at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
