The Wall › Panel 1E › New York › Donald Gilbert Cook
DONALD GILBERT COOK
Colonel · U.S. Marine Corps
August 9, 1934 – December 31, 1964
Medal of Honor StoryPortrait: U.S. armed forces, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Donald Gilbert Cook, of New York, New York, served as a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was lost on December 31, 1964, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 1E, Line 80 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Donald Gilbert Cook received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on December 31, 1964. The official citation reads:
Citation for award of Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while interned as a Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong in the Republic of Vietnam during the period 31 December 1964 to 8 December 1967. Despite the fact that by so doing he would bring about harsher treatment for himself, Colonel (then Captain) Cook established himself as the senior prisoner, even though in actuality he was not. Repeatedly assuming more than his share of responsibility for their health, Colonel Cook willingly and unselfishly put the interests of his comrades before that of his own well-being and, eventually, his life. Giving more needy men his medicine and drug allowance while constantly nursing them, he risked infection from contagious diseases while in a rapidly deteriorating state of health. This unselfish and exemplary conduct, coupled with his refusal to stray even the slightest from the Code of Conduct, earned him the deepest respect from not only his fellow prisoners, but his captors as well. Rather than negotiate for his own release or better treatment, he steadfastly frustrated attempts by the Viet Cong to break his indomitable spirit and passed this same resolve on to the men whose well-being he so closely associated himself. Knowing his refusals would prevent his release prior to the end of the war, and also knowing his chances for prolonged survival would be small in the event of continued refusal, he chose nevertheless to adhere to a Code of Conduct far above that which could be expected. His personal valor and exceptional spirit of loyalty in the face of almost certain death reflected the highest credit upon Colonel Cook, the Marine Corps, and the United States Naval Service.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on Donald Gilbert Cook; Medal of Honor citations are official U.S. government records. See also the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and all Medal of Honor recipients on the Wall.
On the Wall
Panel 1E · Line 80
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Rank
- Colonel (COL)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Communications Officer (I) (2502)
- Unit (as recorded)
- HQ CO 3 MARDIV
- Born
- August 9, 1934
- Home of record
- New York, New York (Kings County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- December 31, 1964
- Province
- Phuoc Tuy
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Unknown
- First reported
- Captured / prisoner of war
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
Three names on the Wall carry the date December 31, 1964; he was the only one lost in Phuoc Tuy Province that day. In December 1964, 36 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
Also on Panel 1E, Line 80
- STEPHEN EDWARD MORGANWarrant Officer 1 · December 30, 1964
- WILLIAM LEROY SIEGRISTMaster Sergeant · December 30, 1964
- EDWARD RAY DODGESergeant Major · December 31, 1964
- KURT CASEY MCDONALDColonel · December 31, 1964
From New York
- WALTER R MCCARTHY JRCaptain · June 16, 1962
- JOHN HOWARD MCCLEANCaptain · August 16, 1963
- DONALD ALLAN MOLLICONEFirst Lieutenant · December 20, 1963
- VINCENT JOSEPH HICKMANCaptain · January 14, 1964
- MARTIN STOCKFEDERPrivate First Class · July 15, 1964
- ROBERT GEORGE ARMSTRONGFirst Lieutenant · October 24, 1964
- DOMINICK SANSONESergeant First Class · December 10, 1964
- TERENCE MEREDITH MURPHYLieutenant (junior grade) · April 9, 1965
- ROBERT CARL WISTRANDColonel · May 9, 1965
- GERALD MICHAEL ROMANOLieutenant (junior grade) · June 2, 1965
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. The Medal of Honor citation above is the official account of his actions. See something wrong? Report a correction.