Cook (FF 1083) - Naval Cruise Book

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l 7 1 l A i LCDR Wilmer Paul Cook, USN 10 Oct 1932- 22 Dec 1967 l 9 r 1 1 1- '1 i r 1 417' 1 1 i X v l 1 I Cook Histor The USS COOK fFF-10831 is the second ship of the fleet to be COOK and the first one to be named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Paul Cook, U.S. Navy. Wilmer Cook, born in Annapolis, MD, 10 attended high school in Annapolis, and graduated from the Naval 1956. After his commissioning he entered flight training and was a Naval Aviator in October 1957. On two deployments to the Tonkin the carriers CONSTELLATION fCV-64, and CORAL SEA tCV-431 he flew 300 missions, risking his life countless times. Upon the loss of his Squadron Commanding Officer and Executive Officer, he took command of Attack Squadron 155 and continued to lead his men on successful strikes against North Vietnamese targets. On 22 December 1967, LCDR Cook perished whep his plane was hit by enemy fire while leading an air strike on supply routesrbee tween Vinh and Ha Tinh. Of his values and his reasons for service, he saidg l'll always go where my country sends me and will always do whatever it asks. Perhaps what l am doing may keep my two sons from going to war. He re- ceived numerous medals for heroism in the line of duty in connection with alt attacks on active North Vietnamese missile sites and patrol craft. His decora- tions for valor include three Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Navy Commerif dation Medals, and five Air Medals for Meritorious Achievement. R 't,. . as 3 The USS COOK QFF-10831 is the finest, fastest, fighting frigate in the Pacific Fleet. She is a modified Knox Class ocean escort Destroyer deslgngl to operate offensively or defensively in support of aircraft carrier battle gr0, 1 operations. COOK also carries out independent operations in the areas of Sllf' veillance patrols and projecting the U.S. Navy's peacetime naval preS9flC9 throughout the free world. The primary mission of COOK is anti-submarine Wal-1 fare. This and all other assigned missions are accomplished with a varletyql assets: an MK 112 anti-submarine rocket launcher, a Harpoon surface-to-SUB' face missile launcher, two double-tubed MK 32 ASW torpedo mounts, a 5 .54 cal MK 42 Mod 9 gun mount, and an SH-2F LAMPS MK I helicopter. COOK was built by Avondale Shipyards at Westwego, Louisiana, and wa launched on 23 January 1971 and christened by Mrs. Joan Cook Nelsonl 1 honor of her late husband. After commissioning on 18 December 1971, CQ embarked on a 16,000 mile shake down cruise around South America through the Straits of Magellan to her home in the Naval Surface Force, Ulf Pacific Fleet. g V COOK is presently assigned as a unit of Destroyer Squadron Seventeeti' COOK has steamed thousands and thousands of miles in support of the Uflltegv States'-missions of world peace and harmony among all peoples. Sh-6 H3595 erated in the North and South Pacific and Indian Ocean, and has visited P0 . in many countries. Following the highest traditions of the United States Navy. COOK ha 1 superb reputation and has received many Battle Efficiency E awards. Tdp' heart Of The SNP, hef CFSW, iS made up of eighteen officers and two-hundreil S'X'fY men, all of whom are dedicated to maintaining COOK's excellence. E

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.L s-.Ig-S-giwfmxfefwv sa.- - W- B Commanding ffiCG1' 3.- tw ' ' -EM ' ' 'A' 'i ' Commander Richard W. Kalb, USN Commander Kalb, a native of Greens- burg, Indiana, was commissioned through the Regular NROTC program upon gradua- tion from Vanderbilt University in 1969, where he received a B.A. in Political Science. His initial tour was as 1st LT aboard USS SOUTHERLAND tDD-7431. He has also served at sea as CIC Officer in USS CORRY QDD-8171, Operations Officer in USS HOEL QDDG-135, and as Engineering Officer aboard USS ST. LOUIS QLKA-1161. Follow- ing a tour as Executive Officer in USS BAR- BEY QFF-10881, he served as Chief Staff Of- ficer for Commander Destroyer Squadron Twenty-three, who was assigned as Anti- Submarine Warfare Commander for USS KITTY HAWK QCV-631 Battlegroup. In 1984, Commander Kalb reported to the Strategic Concepts Group QOP-6033, where he headed the NATO Strategy and Force Plans Section, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Opera- tions. He was selected for the Federal Execu- tive Fellowship Program in 1986 and as- sumed command of COOK in January 1988 after having served as the Navy Fellow at The Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C. He has also served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to the Director of the Inter-American Defense College and is a graduate of the Spanish Naval War College in Madrid, Spain. Commander Kalb has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal iwith gold starj, Joint Service Commenda- tion Medal, Navy Combat Action Ribbon, Spanish Cross of Naval Merit and various campaign and service awards. Commander Kalb, his wife Rosario, and their son, Robert. reside in Rancho Bernardo.