HomeMy WebLinkAboutSam Cook, Brazos Valley Heroes -
s
t ` r s
.
i .
t_7ne in a series of tributes to rnernbbers of "The Greatest .. 4.
Generation" who served our country during World War 11 I
g
I
.. i
F
f
.
is jt 4f 5
i
Sam R� IRO
Cook -�. .
Sam Cook of Navasota was married for 57 years loading the ammunition ship were blow up, killing all
before his wife died and during his marriage he had to of their 21 crewmen. The explosion was so great that
perform husbandly chores many, many times. One ships 4 to 5 miles away were sunk. 350 men on the
thing he never minded doing was taking out the trash munitions ship were lost as well as the crews of the
because one time, it was what saved his life. LCM's."
Cook grew up in Titus County and graduated "The fact that we were on that garbage detail 8
from Mt. Pleasant high school in 1942, just after the miles out to sea is what saved our lives. I have never
Nri
war started. In April 1943 he joined the Navy and was complained about taking out the trash since."
sent to California for training. It was there that he was Before the war was over, the U. S. forces began
assigned to LCM boats, the ones that were used to to prepare for the invasion of the Japanese mainland
deliver the soldiers to shore from ships as well as to include training for beachhead landings.
• supplies. "At this time, plenty of men and new LCM's had
"We left the states on October 2, 1943 for the been delivered to our area. As veterans of the Pacific
South Pacific and headed to the island chain where landings we thought the new guys with their new'
• Guadalcanal was located. It was there that we trained boats would be the ones utilized. That thought or
AI: for the invasion of Bougainville. I have visited with hope evaporated one day when a Marine Colonel
some Marine friends who have kidded me about tak- came to our headquarters and said he wanted only
i ng them in to the beach and then running off and experienced boats and crews, which meant us."
leaving them. I always told them I left as fast as I "We knew how tough the other landings had
could. What they didn't think about was that I had to been and we knew it would be worse on the Japanese
come back. Each time we came into the beach, my mainland. The day we heard they had dropped the
boat was the biggest and the best target available to bombs on Japan and they had surrendered, became
the Japanese." the happiest day of my life to that point."
As the coxswain on the LCM, Cook was, in "Two of the crew members killed when the
effect, the captain of his own ship. "I had to explain ammunition ship was blown up were guys that I had
• that concept to an ensign one time. It was probably a been with since boot camp. We had promised each
good thing that I didn't have to deal with that ensign other that if something happened we would see the
ag families and explain what happened. When I got
Part of Cook's group was sent to the Admiralty home, I went to Hayward, Oklahoma for one family
Islands at a place called Sea Adler Harbor. It was the but wasn't able to locate the other one until 1995 «
biggest natural harbor in the Pacific and the Navy when I went to Davenport, Iowa to see them. They
used it as a re supply point for its ships in the Pacific. were both hard trips to make but I kept my promise
-. ;`We often had to use our LCM's to help off -load and I'm glad I did." tOm
' ships in the harbor, to bring in the men and materials Cook was mustered out of the Navy in August .!
to shore for redistribution throughout the Pacific. In 1945. In 1946 he enrolled at East Texas State
. 1944 we were assigned to off -load an ammunition University in Commerce, Texas where he got his
ship which had just arrived and was fully loaded. degree. He was in the beverage business with Canada
When we got to the ship, I was told to off -load all their Dry in Houston for several years before he retired to
garbage and take it out to sea to dispose of it. We had Navasota.
to go out about 7 or 8 miles before we could dump it Sam Cook's name can be found on the Brazos r,
, and we were complaining about our job with a why Valley Veterans Memorial. For more information, to
me attitude." make a contribution, or to nominate a veteran, con- � ;
"While we were out to sea 'taking out the trash,' tact the BVVM at www.veterans- memorial.org, or Bill
that munitions ship was attacked by a Japanese Youngkin at 979 - 260 -7030.
Kamikaze plane. When it blew up, the 7 LCM's off - >;
: .
,.' The Eagle
Here when you need us.
theeagle.com