George Hobart Cook, Jr. (1926-1945)

COOK, COUGHENOUR, MARTIN, CLARK

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11

From Nevada Evening Journal October 21, 1948 (page 1)

Military Honors Were Accorded Pvt. George Cook Jr.

Full military honors were accorded Private George Hobart Cook Jr. last rites for whom were held at the Morfoot Funeral Home, Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock with Rev. Hugh C. Guy of the Nevada Christian church officiating.

The flowers were many and beautiful. Organ music was played before and at the close of the service. The Boys' Quartet from the Nevada high school sang "Soldier Rest". This group included Bob Shearer, Gail Hess, Bill Hoehler and Keith Shickell.

Burial was in the Iowa Center cemetery with the Veterans of Foreign Wars conducting their ritualistic burial service at the graveside. This service was in charge of Commander Bernard Severeid and Chaplain Lee Alexander.

The firing squad in charge of Clark Stookey included Bob Eller, Jerry Hines, Ray Lemon, Virgil Haines, Barney Haines, Adolph Kleinschmidt, Dale Warren and Wayne Huebner.

The pall bearers were Charles Lewis, Jim Stone, Bob Hand, Bob McKim, Bob McDaniel, Sgt. Harold Bang of Spencer, a war buddy of the deceased. The honorary pall bearers were Alex Quinsland and Glen White.

Color bearers were Wayne Bierma and Harold Montgomery. The color guard was Roy Prescott adn Dick McKim.

Sgt. Paul St. Hilaire of Spooner, Wis., was the military escort accompanying the remains. Business was suspended in Nevada during the funeral hour.

The following obituary was read by Rev. Guy during the service.

Obituary, Pvt. George H. Cook, Jr.

Private George Hobart Cook Jr., only son of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Sr., of 2421 Fairway Drive, S.W., Roanoke, Va., was born at Evanston, Ill., on September 5, 1926, and was killed in action on the Island of Luzon of the Philippine Islands, on May 19, 1945, being 18 years, eight months, and 14 days old.

George was inducted in the service October 28, 1944 at Fort Snelling, Minn. From there he went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he stayed two weeks. then he was assigned to South Camp Hood, Texas, to take his basic training in the infantry. After completing 15 weeks he was home for a 10-day-delay-in-route to Fort Ord, Calif., where he had three additional weeks of training before leaving the United States on March 31, 1945.

His parents received the telegram June 4, informing them of their son's death.

Later they received a letter from the chaplain of the 152nd Infantry Regiment Chaplain (Capt.) Cullen B. Jones, stating that George was assigned to a perimeter group which was sent east of Manila in the mountains. The Japanese opened a barrage of mortar fire, a shell exploded right next to George giving him multiple wounds and he was killed instantly.

Quoting the chaplain's letter directly he said, "During the battle being fought in the mountains east of Manila on May 19, 1945 George was with his company in a perimeter very near the front lines in the vicinity of Mt. Baytangan. At approximately 10:00 a.m. the enemy laid a heavy barrage on Company B's position. A mortar shell exploded close to him causing multiple wounds. His death occurred instantly and his body was immediately recovered.

His body was laid to rest in the United States Armed Forces cemetery No. 2 located in Manila.

This letter was addressed to his mother, Mrs. Fern E. Cook. The chaplain also said, "George was a brave soldier who showed his fearlessness in battle. He had been in the company only a short time but during that time he had made many friends among his comrades."

The chaplain then expressed in his letter the consoling thought: "May our Heavenly Father grant you the courage and strength to fact this trial as George faced his duty. His buddies and officers send their personal regards to you as a mother who gave a son for her country.'

A short service was held by the chaplain at the U. S. Armed Forces cemetery at Manila, and a memorial service ws held in his company later.

On Sunday, July 22, 1945 2:30 p.m. a memorial service was held for George at the West Forks Evangelical church near Dougherty, Iowa, where his parents then lived.

In early boyhood days when his parents lived in Nevada, George attended the Nevada schools. He graduated from Greene high school. In 1944 having been prominent in athletics, football and basketball. He was especially active in basketball putting his whole heart into it to win for his team. It is doubtless in the same fashion that George went off to war to win for his team, the American Army. And although he did not live to see that day, it was in the same year that our armies were victorious in both the European and Southwest Pacific areas that George gave up his life.

Besides his parents George is survived by his sister, Marylyn of the home address at Roanoke, Va., age 13. He also leaves his grandmother, Mrs. Sam Coughenour of Nevada, Ia., an aunt, Mildred Coughenour of Marshalltown, Ia., an uncle, Harold Coughenour, R. Rt., Maxwell, Ia. On his father;s side of the house he leaves an aunt, Mrs. Emma Martin of Ames, Ia., an uncle, Warren Cook of Ann Arbor, Mich., and aunt Mrs. Helen Clark of Hammond, Ind., and an uncle who was a half brother to his father, Francis Cook of Texas. He also leaves other more distant relatives.

George always spent hs summers with relatives in Story county so it is most fitting that his body should be brought back from the far east to the old home community for its last resting place.