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Casualty Info
Home Town Bagley, WI
Last Address with VA-923 deployed in the Pacific aboard USS Bon Homme Richard.
Lt Cook's remains are actually lost in North Korea.
Casualty Date Jul 18, 1951
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Korea, North
Conflict Korean War
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates CENOTAPH
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Lieutenant Cook was the pilot of an AD-3 Skyraider dive bomber with Attack Squadron 923 aboard the aircraft carrier USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CV-31). On July 18, 1951, after attacking a bridge target in North Korea, he failed to meet at the rendezvous point with the rest of the flight. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on May 19, 1954.
Comments/Citation:
Name of Award
Navy Cross
Year Awarded
1944
Details behind Award: Awarded for actions during WWII
CITATION: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade [then Ensign] Orville Melvin Cook (NSN: 0-301489), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber in Bombing Squadron SIXTEEN (VB-16), attached to the U.S.S. LEXINGTON (CV-16), in action against enemy Japanese forces in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea on 20 June 1944. Participating in a long-range attack on major units of the Japanese Fleet, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook skillfully maneuvered his plane to evade determined fighter opposition and intense enemy anti-aircraft fire in the ensuing action and assisted essentially in the sinking of a large enemy aircraft carrier, in the probable sinking of another large carrier and in shooting down two enemy fighter planes. Upon fulfillment of the critical mission, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook succeeded in completing the long return flight to base and in effecting a safe night landing aboard the LEXINGTON. His cool courage, skilled airmanship and devotion to duty throughout this decisive action reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cook, and the United States Naval Service.
Action Date: July 8, 1944 Service: Navy Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade Squadron: Bombing Squadron 16 (VB-16) Ship: U.S.S. Oriskany (CVA-34)
Details behind Award: Awarded for actions during WWII
CITATION: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Gold Star in lieu of a Second Award of the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Orville Melvin Cook (NSN: 0-301489), United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber of Bombing Squadron SIXTEEN (VB-16), attached to the U.S.S. RANDOLPH (CV-15), in action against major units of the Japanese Fleet in the Tokyo Bay Area, Japan, on 18 July 1945. Participating in a dive-bombing attack against an enemy battleship at the Yokosuka Naval Base, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, cook skillfully pressed home his attack in the face of intense hostile anti-aircraft fire and scored a direct hit on the target. By his aggressive airmanship and courage under fire, he contributed materially to the infliction of severe damage on the warship and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Description The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon from 23–26 October 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion, but was repulsed by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The IJN failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.
It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. By the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
October / 1944
To Month/Year
October / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Now covering the Leyte landings, Lexington's planes scored importantly in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the climactic American naval victory over Japan. While the carrier came under constant enemy attack in the engagement in which Princeton was sunk, her planes joined in sinking Musashi and scored hits on three cruisers on 24 October. Next day, with Essex aircraft, they sank Chitose, and alone sank Zuikaku. Later in the day, they aided in sinking ZuihÅ?. As the retiring Japanese were pursued, her planes sank Nachi with four torpedo hits on 5 November off Luzon.
Later that day, Lexington was introduced to the kamikaze as a flaming Japanese plane crashed near her island, destroying most of the island structure and spraying fire in all directions. Within 20 minutes, major blazes were under control, and she was able to continue normal flight actions, her guns knocking down a would-be kamikaze heading for Ticonderoga as well. On 9 November, Lexington arrived in Ulithi to repair battle damage while hearing again that Tokyo once again claimed her destroyed beneath the deep blue seas. Casualties were considered light despite the island structures destruction.
Chosen as the flagship for Task Group 58.2 (TG 58.2) on 11 December, she struck at the airfields of Luzon and Formosa during the first 9 days of January 1945, encountering little enemy opposition. The task force then entered the China Sea to strike enemy shipping and air installations. Strikes were flown against Saipan, Camranh Bay in then Indochina, Hong Kong, the Pescadores, and Formosa. Task force planes sank four merchant ships and four escorts in one convoy and destroyed at least 12 in another, at Camranh Bay on 12 January. Leaving the China Sea on 20 January, Lexington sailed north to strike Formosa again on 21 January and Okinawa again on 22 January.
After replenishing at Ulithi, TG 58.2 sailed on 10 February to hit airfields near Tokyo on 16 February 1945,[2] and on 17 February to minimize opposition to the Iwo Jima landings on 19 February. Lexington flew close support for the assaulting troops from 19â??22 February, then sailed for further strikes against the Japanese home islands and the Nansei Shoto before heading for overhaul at Puget Sound.
