[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 62 (Monday, April 6, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING STAFF SERGEANT PHILLIP COOK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 6, 2026

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to recognize 
100-year-old Staff Sergeant Phillip Bruce Cook, a proven patriotic 
resident of Lexington, South Carolina, on his reception of the French 
Legion of Honor medal, as well as his invaluable contribution to 
victory in World War II.
  Staff Sgt. Cook is receiving the French Legion of Honor medal for a 
career of profound courage and leadership as he served as a member of 
the U.S. Army Air Force 379th Bomb Group, 524th Bomb Squadron.
  Staff Sgt. Cook was born in Swansea, South Carolina, on September 23, 
1925, and from a young age, he had a passion for flying. At just 17 
years old, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and received training as 
an aerial gunner.
  Based in England, his first combat mission was in 1944 as a ball 
turret gunner flying over France. This was a particularly dangerous 
role aboard a B-17 bomber.
  Over the course of his service, Staff Sgt. Cook flew a total of 35 
missions.
  The combat record of the 379th was the most successful of all the 
Eighth Air Force heavy bomber groups. The unit held records as far as 
bomb tonnage dropped--26,459 tons--more than any other group, including 
those in operation before the 379th even arrived in England.
  Staff Sgt. Cook was honorably discharged in 1945. Following the war, 
he returned to Lexington and attended a trade school to learn how to 
repair watches and clocks.
  A graduate of Swansea High School, he is married, has two children, 
and attends Northside Baptist Church in Lexington.
  Due to his outstanding sense of courage and commitment, he will be 
receiving the French Legion of Honor medal on April 9th, 2026, at the 
South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation in Columbia. This medal is 
the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit and 
recognizes those brave men and women who have done great deeds for 
France. Following a comprehensive examination of his military record 
and post war life experiences, French President Emmanuel Macron 
approved his application.
  I am grateful to Staff Sgt. Cook for his incredible service and 
unwavering dedication to America. I wish him and his family all the 
best.

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