Henry Joseph Cook

Col. Henry J. Cook, III, Army Special Forces, Green Beret (Ret.), a resident of Diamondhead, MS., died peacefully March 16, 2015 after a long illness, in Meadville, MS, at the age of 78.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy K., his sister Kaarin Brown (Smith J.), seven children, Henry J. Cook, IV (Allison), Leon M. Cook (Vivien), Brian P. Cook (Debbie), Gavin M. Cook (Kelli), Stephen J. Cook, Collette M. Bonvillain (Brian), and Nicole C. Cook; nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry J. Cook, Jr. and his mother Helen F. Cook. He was born in New Orleans, LA and grew up in Harahan, LA.
Henry first enlisted in the Army in 1953 at the age of 16. The Army sent him home, but he went back in 1955 and enlisted again. He was excited about the Special Forces and joined the elite unit in 1959. He completed airborne training and in 1964 graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lt., Infantry. His Army assignments included training in three Army branches; Infantry, Intelligence and Artillery. However, most of his time was spent in Special Forces.
He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer, having served 42 years of combined duty, active and reserve, and was a Green Beret for 33 of those years. He retired as a Colonel of Special Forces.
His combat tours began in Vietnam, where in 1967-68, as a Lieutenant and Captain, he was a member of the then top-secret Mobile Guerilla Forces, which involved the leading of indigenous troops in operations behind enemy lines and in areas denied conventional military forces. He operated behind enemy lines for extended periods of time conducting guerrilla operations against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong targets, as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.
He was first wounded on February 3, 1968 (his birthday), and was wounded a second time while a patient in the Intensive Care Unit of the 3rd Surgical (MASH) Hospital at Dong Tam, Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive.
In 1990, Henry was called back to active duty to serve at the U.S. Special Operations Command, where he served as a Deputy Director of Special Operations. He served in support of Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq and Operation Provide Comfort, which provided relief and protection to the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
Henry, a Master Parachutist is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army Special Forces School. For his valor and military skills, Col. Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with ""V"" device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, two additional Bronze Star Medals, Army Commendation Medal with ""V"" for Valor, two Purple Hearts, with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.
He was Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander. He also played a major role in creating the MOPH Chapter in his home city of Diamondhead, MS
Henry was a practicing attorney and a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and was a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans' Claims. He has been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also served as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St .Louis, MS.
Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include; a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition, he also belonged to VFW, DAV, Special Forces Assn (SFA), Special Operations Assn. (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 2pm at Riemann Family Funeral Home, 9113 Kiln Delisle Road in Pass Christian, where friends may visit one hour prior to the service.
Inurnment will follow at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the United Service Organizations (USO), P.O. Box 96860, Washington, DC 20077-7677.
Tributes may be offered at www.riemannfamily.com
For more information, please call (228) 586-0510.