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Navsource Online: Destroyer Escort Photo Archive



Right ship's patch courtesy of Tom Gamstetter, remainder from Mike Smolinski

USS Cook (DE 1083)


Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign:
N - A - C - I
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row: Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal w/ 1 star - National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 star
Third Row: Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/ 2 stars - Humanitarian Service Ribbon w/ 2 stars - Sea Service Deployment Ribbon


Specifications:
Class: Knox
Type: SCB No. 199C / 1964
Number in Class: 46
Displacement: 3020 tons (std), 4065 tons (full)
Length: 415' (wl), 438' (oa)
Beam: 46' 9" (extreme)
Draft: 24' 9" (draft limit)
Propulsion: 2 Combustion Engineering 1200psi boilers; 1 Westinghouse geared turbine; 35,000 shp; 1 shaft
Speed: 27 kts
Range: 4,500 nm @ 20 knots
Complement: 16 / 211
Missiles: 1 8-tube Mk25 Sea Sparrow BPDMS in DE 1052-1069, 1071-1083, 1 8-tube Mk29 NATO Sea Sparrow IPDMS in DE 1070, Harpoon missiles from modified ASROC launcher
Guns: 1 x 5"/54 cal. DP Mk 42 (600 rds)
ASW Weapons: 1 Mk16 ASROC launcher (16 missiles), 4-12.75" (324mm) Mk 32 (4x1 fixed) tubes / Mk 46 torpedos (6)
Radars: AN/SPS-10 (surface), AN/SPS-40 (air), AN/SPS-58 threat warning in some ships
Sonars: AN/SQS-26CX, AN/SQS-35 IVDS in FF-1052, 1056, 1063-1071, 1073-1076, 1078-1097
Fire Control Systems: Mk68 Mod. 11/13/14 Gun FCS, Mk114 Mod 14/16 ASW FCS
Helicopter: 1 - SH-2 LAMPS Helicopter
Cook (DE 1083) Building and Operational Data:
  • 25 August 1966: Building contract awarded to the Avondale Shipyard Corp.
  • 20 March 1970: Keel laid by the Avondale Shipyard Corp., Westwego, La.
  • 23 January 1971: Launched, sponsored by Mrs. Joan C. Nelson, widow of Lcdr. Cook
  • 18 December 1971: Commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Cmdr. James R. Talbot in command, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 3 at Long Beach, Cal.
  • 09 May 1973: Departed Long Beach on her first WestPac Deployment as a unit of Destroyer Squadron 9
  • 30 June 1975: Reclassified Frigate (FF 1083)
  • 01 February 1979: Transferred to Destroyer Squadron 15 at Long Beach
  • 14 May 1979: Collided with USS Mars (AFS 1) in heavy fog while en route to San Clemente Island, Calif.
  • 01 October 1989: Assigned to Naval Reserve Force, Pacific, at San Diego CA
  • 30 April 1992: Decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego, Cal. after 20 years and 4⅓ months of service
  • 11 January 1995: Struck from the NVR
  • 31 May 1994: Leased To Taiwan, renamed ROCS Hae Yang (FF-936), still in service
  • 01 May 2014: Decommissioned by the Taiwanese Navy, to be scrapped
  • 01 July 2020: Sunk by bombs and missiles when the Republic of China Navy conducted an anti-ship live-fire shooting exercise in the waters off the southeast coast of Taiwan
    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-93-01106 from the DVIC)
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By And/Or Copyright
    Cook
    0602108301

    Cook


    382k Wilmer Paul Cook was born on 01 October 1932 and attended high school in Annapolis, Md., graduating the U.S. Naval Academy with the class of 1956. He became a naval aviator and an expert in the A-4E Skyhawk, serving in Attack Squadrons 125, 216, 192, and 112 before joining VA-155. He took command of VA-155 after the loss of the unit's commanding and executive officers. On 22 December 1967, Lcdr. Cook perished when his plane was hit by enemy fire. (click on the photo for a more complete biography of Lcdr. Cook.)

    USS Cook (DE 1083) (1971-1992) was the first ship named in his honor.

    "Cook has the distinction of being the only ship in the history of the U.S. Navy to have buried her own namesake. Lcdr. Cook was shot down on 22 December 1967. In 1989 his remains were returned to the United States, and a memorial service was held on board Cook on 24 November 1989, at which time his ashes were buried at sea." (Jim Lavelle's note at Whatever Happened)
    Robert M. Cieri
    Cook
    0602108323
    536K January 1973: the Pacific Ocean - USS Cook (DE 1083) underway off Pearl Harbor.

    (Photo by Dick Hanover, USS Coral Sea 1973 WestPac Cruise)
    Dick Hanover
    USS Coral Sea (CVA-43)
    Cook
    0602108324
    450k July 1977: San Diego, Cal. - USS Cook (FF 1083) mooring at the San Diego Naval Station.

    (Heilenday photo #1 00031A from the Heilenday Collection)
    Mark Heilenday
    Virginia Beach, Va.

    Captain, USN (ret.)
    June 1974 - July 2004
    Cook
    0602108321
    93k 11 November 1979: San Diego, Cal. - Cook photographed in port at San Diego. Carl T. Orbann
    Cook
    0602108302
    423k 01 May 1981: At Sea - A port bow view of USS Cook (FF 1083) underway.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-82-00680 by PH3 Robert Swinland from the Defense Visual Information Center)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Cook
    0602108303
    206k 12 May 1981: At Sea - A port bow view of Cook underway while en route to Hawaii.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SN-90-11728 by PH3 Robert Swinland from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108304
    149k 04 September 1981: At Sea - left rear view of an SH-2F Seasprite helicopter from Light Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 35 (HSL-35), assigned to Anti-submarine Warfare Wing Pacific, preparing to land on the helicopter pad aboard Cook.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-82-01147 by PH1 L.B. Foster from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108305
    175k 08 September 1985: At Sea - A starboard beam view of Cook, foreground, and a Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyer underway.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-87-10741 by PH3 Fred Brewer from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108320
    66k January 1987: Southbound at 21 knots along the California coast enroute from Weapons Station, Seal Beach to San Diego. Picture was taken from the ship's gig and prints were included in the decommissioning ceremony program.

    (caption supplied by former CO Bob Lang)
    Walter Bengtson
    Cook
    0602108306
    186k January 1987 (exact date shot unknown): At Sea - Cook, (foreground) and the Forrestal Class Aircraft Carrier USS Ranger (CV 61) underway. Airborne is a H-3 Sea King helicopter.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-05-06694 from the DVIC)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Cook
    0602108310
    188k 01 June 1987: Diego Garcia - Cook is moored alongside the fast combat support ship USS Camden (AOE 2) in the lagoon at Diego Garcia with the Constellation Battle Group. USS Ouellet (FF 1077) is moored to the quay wall in the background.

    (This photo and the next were originally dated 01 June 1990. According to Bob Lang, CO at the time, Cook did not deploy to WestPac in 1990 and these photos are from 1987.)
    Cook
    0602108311
    159k 01 June 1987: Diego Garcia - Cook is moored alongside the fast combat support ship USS Camden (AOE 2) in the lagoon at Diego Garcia with the Constellation Battle Group. The bow of USS Constellation (CV 64) can be seen in the background of this photo.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-93-01107 from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108307
    219k 01 August 1987: At Sea - A starboard beam view of Cook underway with the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64) battle group.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-89-08858 by PH1 Barrett from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108308
    130k 01 August 1987: At Sea - A port view of Cook underway with the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV 64) battle group.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-89-08881 by PH1 Barrett from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108309
    103k July 1988: At Sea - A bow view of the ships composing the battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) battle group participating in the multinational Exercise RIMPAC '88. They are, front to back: Cook, the guided missile frigate USS McClusky (FFG 41), the destroyer USS John Young (DD 973) and the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS Long Beach (CGN 9).

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-89-05371 by Terry Cosgrove from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108319
    139k July 1988: Pearl Harbor, Hi. - Cook with USS Joseph Strauss (DDG 16) outboard of her at Pearl Harbor during RIMPAC '88. Robert M. Cieri
    Cook
    0602108322
    211k circa late 1980's: the Pacific Ocean - USS Cook (FF 1083) Underway.

    (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 107461-KN from the Naval History and Heritage Command)
    Bob Hurst
    Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
    England, United Kingdom
    Cook
    0602108313
    138k July 1988: Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hi. - A port beam view of Cook departing Pearl Harbor through the channel.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-SC-92-04843 by OS2 John Bouvia from the DVIC)
    Mike Smolinski
    Clifton, N.J.

    Navsource DE/FF/LCS
    Archive Manager
    Cook
    0602108312
    94k 24 May 1991: Naval Station San Diego, Cal. - A crew member climbs scaffolding as he prepares to paint the bow of Cook. In the background, sailors man the rails aboard the guided missile frigate USS Mahlon S. Tisdale (FFG 27) as the vessel enters port following deployment in the Western Pacific.

    (U.S. Navy photo DVID #DN-ST-91-11786 by JO1(AW) Joseph F. Lancaster from the DVIC)
    Cook
    0602108314
    91k 25 March 2006: Keelung, Taiwan - ROCS Hae Yang (FFG 936) moored in Keelung Harbor. Perry Huang
    Cook
    0602108315
    70k 20 June 2006: Suao, Taiwan - Hae Yang moored in Suao Harbor.
    Cook
    0602108316
    56k
    Cook
    0602108317
    84k
    Cook
    0602108318
    81k
    R. E. Peary  1.) 240k   R. E. Peary 2.) 407k

    27 June 2020: Kaohsiung Harbor, Taiwan - Two views of the decommissioned Taiwanese Navy frigates Chih
    Yang
    (FF-932) (ex-USS Robert E. Peary, FF 1073) and Hae Yang (FF-936) (ex-USS Cook, FF 1083).

    (Photos taken by and used with the permission of Ching Chun Tseng)

    0602107322        0602107325

    Chin Yu Chu
    Brunei Darussalam
    South East Asia



    Cook Memorabilia
    Commissioning
    Booklet Cover
    Cook
    Courtesy of
    Robert M. Cieri

    Cook History
    View the USS Cook (DE 1083) DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

    Cook's Commanding Officers
    Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves, & Russ Moody
    Dates of Command Commanding Officers
    1.)  18 Dec. 1971 - 12 Apr. 1973Cmdr. James Robert Talbot
    2.)  12 Apr. 1973 - 04 Apr. 1975Cmdr. Carl Alfred Nelson (USNA '56) (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    3.)  04 Apr. 1975 - 03 Jun. 1977Cmdr. Jerry Charles McMurry (USNA '59) (Rock Springs, Wyo.)
    4.)  03 Jun. 1977 - 05 Jul. 1979Cmdr. Joseph B. Famme* (OCS '60) (San Diego, Cal.)
    5.)  05 Jul. 1979 - 23 Jul. 1981Cmdr. Michael B. Ferguson, Sr. (Baker, Ore.)
    6.)  23 Jul. 1981 - 02 Jul. 1983Cmdr. Robert Howard Joyce
    7.)  02 Jul. 1983 - 19 Oct. 1985Cmdr. Donald James Degreef
    8.)  19 Oct. 1985 - 13 Jan. 1988Cmdr. Robert Earle Lang (USNA '67) (Navy Jr.)
    9.)  13 Jan. 1988 - 20 Jan. 1990Cmdr. Richard W. Kalb (NROTC '69) (Greensburg, Ind.)
    10.) 20 Jan. 1990 - 30 Apr. 1992Cmdr. Larry E. Penix (NROTC '71)

    * Relieved for cause, 05 Jul. 1979; collision with USS Mars (AFS 1) off San Clemente Island on 14 May 1979
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information

    Last Known Reunion
    October 2019
    at The Hotel Dana,
    San Diego, Cal.

    Reunion Contact: Mike Baraniecki
    Phone: (619) 316-5582
    E-mail: baraniecki at verizon.net

    Note About Contacts

    Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
    made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
    a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
    Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.


    Additional Resources

    Tin Can Sailors
    The U.S. Navy Memorial
    The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
    The Destroyer History Foundation
    To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page
    Back To The Main Photo Index

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    This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski
    All pages copyright Navsource Naval History
    by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved.
    Page Last Updated: 24 September 2024