Crest of USNA Class of 1956
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USS Cook (FF 1083). We'll call the ship USS Wilmer P. Cook (FF 1083) so as not to confuse it with USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) named after a Marine Colonel who died as a Viet Nam POW. Its namesake is CDR Wilmer (Bill) Cook of the Naval Academy Class of 1956. It was commisioned as DE-1083 in 1971 but reclassified as FF-1083 in 1975. It presently is leased to Taiwan with the name Hae Yang, but remains on the U.S. Registry as USS Cook. U.S, Navy Photo.
      Photo courtesy of Walter Bengston. Official USN Photo. Back to Navy Links

Details of Bill's Last Flight  Inscriptions on Viet Nam Memorial USS Cook brief History Vessel Registry         

       CDR Bill Cook. USNA Class of 1956. Bill was lost over Viet Nam in 1967. Click on buttons above for details of the action and to see his many decorations! A-4E Skyhawk     Gene Sullivan: Bill Cook's Roomate.
                  Bill Cook  USNA-56                                            Bill's Roomate: Gene Sullivan
                     Gene's Interpreter          Third Company          Bill's Protector

     Flight of Four A-4E SkyHawks. The Navy plans to retire the SkyHawk in June 1999 at a formal ceremony at NAS Pensacola.          The Navy A-4E SkyHawk, a lightweight attack and ground support aircraft. The plane is so compact that it does not need folding wings for deck storage and handling

   RIMPAC-88: The Frigate USS Cook (FF-1083), The Guided Missile Frigate USS McCluskey (FFG 41), the Destroyer John Young (DD 973), and the Guided Missile Cruiser Long Beach (CGN 9)            Click for a photo of VA-192 during a WestPac Tour in 1959!                        Bill and Joan Cook: Wedding 1957. Gene was not available, thus Daisy and Sam stood by.       
    USS Cook: RIMPAC-88.             Click for Group Photo.            Wedding at Whiting Field: 1957.