Awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals
Paul Peniston Cook passed away on July 12, 2012 at his home in San Antonio. Cmdr. Cook participated in significant American historical events during his lifetime. Born in LaGrange, GA in 1921, he entered the Navy at age 17. He was a naval aviator serving as a dive bomber in WWII in the pacific theater and attack bomber in the Korean War. He was awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals in combat operations. During his thirty-year active reserve career he was involved in special and atomic weapons development with the joint military command task force, and participated in the development of the NASA astronaut training program at Brooks AFB. As a civilian, he worked in aerospace engineering and was a special consultant from North American Rockwell to NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He later returned to Textile engineering and worked to develop a patented textile process.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Jean Cook.
He is survived by two daughters, Paula Golden of San Antonio and Cathy Bedell of Atlanta; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Paul Peniston Cook, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944. Flying as wingman on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook defied the withering barrages of anti-aircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook and the United States Naval Service.
Paul Peniston Cook passed away on July 12, 2012 at his home in San Antonio. Cmdr. Cook participated in significant American historical events during his lifetime. Born in LaGrange, GA in 1921, he entered the Navy at age 17. He was a naval aviator serving as a dive bomber in WWII in the pacific theater and attack bomber in the Korean War. He was awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals in combat operations. During his thirty-year active reserve career he was involved in special and atomic weapons development with the joint military command task force, and participated in the development of the NASA astronaut training program at Brooks AFB. As a civilian, he worked in aerospace engineering and was a special consultant from North American Rockwell to NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He later returned to Textile engineering and worked to develop a patented textile process.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Jean Cook.
He is survived by two daughters, Paula Golden of San Antonio and Cathy Bedell of Atlanta; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Paul Peniston Cook, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944. Flying as wingman on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook defied the withering barrages of anti-aircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook and the United States Naval Service.
Awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals
Paul Peniston Cook passed away on July 12, 2012 at his home in San Antonio. Cmdr. Cook participated in significant American historical events during his lifetime. Born in LaGrange, GA in 1921, he entered the Navy at age 17. He was a naval aviator serving as a dive bomber in WWII in the pacific theater and attack bomber in the Korean War. He was awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals in combat operations. During his thirty-year active reserve career he was involved in special and atomic weapons development with the joint military command task force, and participated in the development of the NASA astronaut training program at Brooks AFB. As a civilian, he worked in aerospace engineering and was a special consultant from North American Rockwell to NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He later returned to Textile engineering and worked to develop a patented textile process.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Jean Cook.
He is survived by two daughters, Paula Golden of San Antonio and Cathy Bedell of Atlanta; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Paul Peniston Cook, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944. Flying as wingman on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook defied the withering barrages of anti-aircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook and the United States Naval Service.
Paul Peniston Cook passed away on July 12, 2012 at his home in San Antonio. Cmdr. Cook participated in significant American historical events during his lifetime. Born in LaGrange, GA in 1921, he entered the Navy at age 17. He was a naval aviator serving as a dive bomber in WWII in the pacific theater and attack bomber in the Korean War. He was awarded the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and six Air Medals in combat operations. During his thirty-year active reserve career he was involved in special and atomic weapons development with the joint military command task force, and participated in the development of the NASA astronaut training program at Brooks AFB. As a civilian, he worked in aerospace engineering and was a special consultant from North American Rockwell to NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. He later returned to Textile engineering and worked to develop a patented textile process.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Jean Cook.
He is survived by two daughters, Paula Golden of San Antonio and Cathy Bedell of Atlanta; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Navy Cross Citation
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Paul Peniston Cook, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron TWENTY (VB-20), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during action against units of the Japanese Fleet in waters west of the Central Philippine Islands during the Battle for Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944. Flying as wingman on a search and attack mission when an enemy task force was sighted and his division was assigned the Japanese battleship MUSASHI as a target, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook defied the withering barrages of anti-aircraft fire to dive low over the hostile warship and release his bombs at perilously low altitude to score direct hits which started fires and contributed materially to the infliction of extensive damage on the Japanese vessel. His superb airmanship, inspiring courage and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook and the United States Naval Service.
Inscription
PAUL PENISTON COOK
OCTOBER 26, 1921
JULY 12, 2012
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