Robert Cook
Robert Allen Cook
Bob Cook was born in Huntington, West Virginia October 25, 1946, the middle son of Helen Umstead Cook and Joseph William Cook. Bob dedicated his life to helping, protecting and advocating for others. He graduated from Huntington High School in 1964. At a time when many were trying to avoid the Vietnam War, Bob joined the Army at 17 knowing that he would go to war. He not only went willingly, but served his country in Vietnam for 10 years. In the Army, he was selected for the elite 101st Airborne 'Screaming Eagles.' They were called the "Chicken Men" by the North Vietnamese because of their eagle insignia. Enemy commanders are said to have feared this division the most of all opponents and warned their men to avoid the “Chicken Men” at all costs because they would lose any engagement with them. (Wikipedia) After his military service, Bob worked in Vietnam for RMK-BRJ where he supervised and trained Vietnamese workers. RMK-BRJ was an American military consortium that built infrastructure in South Vietnam to facilitate the movement of American troops and material into Vietnam. They completed a construction program deemed to be the largest in history up to that time. RMK-BRJ trained thousands of Vietnamese in construction and administrative trades. (Wikipedia) Music and writing were Bob’s favorite creative endeavors. He started singing at the age of four at Huntington’s Jackson Avenue Church of God Holiness. He taught himself to play guitar while in Vietnam and enjoyed performing country and gospel music. He often wrote his own songs and also wrote several books. After returning from Vietnam, Bob worked for the Chessie System (Huntington), Boeing Aircraft (Wichita, Kansas) and retired from Yellow Cab (Huntington) as a manager. He died at 71 years old due to complications from Agent Orange exposure. Obituary: https://www.regerfuneralhome.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=3330351#/celebrationWall