Presentation Date: February 24, 2019
Corporal, Dale Cook, US Marine Corps and Professional Photographer Tom Graves
Dale Cook grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and joined the United States Marine Corps in 1944 at age 17. After training as a mortar-man, he was shipped out to the Western Pacific with the 4th Marine Division.
Iwo Jima is a volcanic island in the Western Pacific south of the Japanese home islands. During World War II, the objective of US Forces was to capture the Japanese-held island for use as an emergency landing strip for battle-damaged B-29 bombers returning from raids over Japan. During February-March 1945, an epic five-week battle resulted in very heavy casualties on both sides.
At age 18, Dale landed on Iwo Jima and was handed a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). He thus became a BAR-man until he was wounded by an enemy grenade and evacuated to a hospital ship.
He left the Marine Corps as a corporal. But later, he joined the Army Reserve and retired with the rank of Major.
Dale graduated from Washington State University where he served in the ROTC program and on the university newspaper. Upon graduation, he worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer before becoming the Region Director for Public Relations for the Atomic Energy Commission in Idaho Falls and in San Francisco.
Dale joined the VFW in 1945. He:
¾ is also a member of the Marine Corps League
¾ was President of the Marine Corps 4th Division Association
¾ is currently President of the Joe Rosenthal Chapter, United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association.
Dale is a popular speaker about Iwo Jima and lives in Brentwood, California.