Cecil P. Cook Jr. was born in 1918, in Rhode Island. He enlisted in the Army on October 30, 1939. He served in the 93rd Bomber Squadron, 19th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, SSgt Cook was one of the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans who were forced to march over 60 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in 1,000 to 5,000 deaths due to starvation, dehydration, and abuse. Survivors were sent to Camp O'Donnell, where dire conditions, including overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease, caused an additional 1,500 to 2,300 American deaths within weeks. Those who survived faced ongoing hardships, including transfers to other camps and forced labor, where many continued to suffer or die.

SSgt Cook was reported missing and officially declared dead on September 7, 1944, when the Japanese ship Shinyo Maru was carrying 750 U.S. prisoners of war in its cargo holds. Unaware of the presence of American POWs on board, the U.S.S. Paddle (SS-263) launched torpedoes at the vessel off the coast of Mindanao, sinking it. Following the attack, some Japanese guards fired at prisoners as they attempted to escape from the holds or while they were in the water. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com, www.findagrave.com