Richard W. Cook

Ft. Totten, NY; Ft. Monroe, VA; AL. Phillipines, MN / World War I
  • Military specialty: Unknown
  • Awards: Unknown

b. 16 Feb 1898; d. 6 Nov 1986.  Richard William Cook was born in Windom, MN to William Alfred and Minnie Sherman (Espey) Cook.  He graduated from Windom High School in 1916 and then attended one year of school at Carleton College in Northfield MN.

On 7 Apr 1918, Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army in the Coastal Artillery at Fort Totten, NY.  He was later transferred to the Coastal Artillery School at Fort Monroe, VA.  Richard was promoted to 1st Sergeant on 6 Jul 1918. During WWI,  Cook was not in combat and was honorably discharged on 29 Nov 1918 at Fort Monroe, VA.

After his service during WWI, Richard returned to the Windom area.  On 14 Sep 1922, he  married Leota Belle Judd;  they had two sons. Richard and Leota lived in the Windom area until 1931 when they moved to Redwood Falls, MN, where he worked as a Redwood County highway engineer from 1932 until his retirement in 1960.

Richard  enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard after his service in WWI and was in the Officer Reserve Corps  until his retirement in 1960. In 1922, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

He was on activity duty in both WWII and the Korean War.  While serving in WWII, he was stationed in Alaska from 1941 – 1943 and the Philippines in 1945 and served with coastal artillery and anti-aircraft units. During the Korean War, he was Commander of the 135th Infantry, at Camp Rucker, AL.

In 1956, he was appointed the first superintendent of the MN Military Academy, a school for officer candidates and non-commissioned officers operated by the National Guard. In 1958, he was promoted to Major General and named  Commander of the 47th Viking Division, then 7,500 strong. He commanded National Guard troops at Albert Lea, MN during the Wilson and Company Meatpacker’s strike during the winter of 1959-1960. He retired from the Minnesota National Guard as a Major General.  Major General Cook was in the military for forty-two years, ten of which were in active duty.

Buried at the Redwood Falls Cemetery, Redwood Falls, MN.

His brother, Sgt. Burdett Espey Cook, was also a WWI Veteran from Cottonwood County.

  • Obituary: Yes