Wednesday Hero ~ Col Henry J Cook

Col. Henry J. Cook


Past National Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart, after serving over fifteen years with MOPH, gaining invaluable experience while in the positions of National Aide-de-Camp, Chapter Commander, Region Commander, National Junior Vice Commander and National Senior Vice Commander.

He was a career Special Forces (Green Beret) officer for thirty-three of the total forty-two years that he was on combined active and reserve duty. His combat tours began in 1967-68 when he operated behind enemy lines in for extended periods of time conducting operations with native guerrilla troops as the Executive Officer of the 4th Mobile Guerrilla. He saw additional combat in 1969-70 when he led a U.S. Special Forces Mobile Strike Force Battalion (MIKE FORCE), consisting of Green Beret officers and sergeants leading Cambodian mercenaries, again working behind enemy lines as well as reacting to attacks on friendly bases, often requiring that his unit be parachuted into hostile drop zones.


Later, he participated in Desert Shield (Saudi Arabia), Desert Storm (Kuwait) and Iraq, and Operation Provide Comfort (Support to Kurdish refugees in Northern Iraq.

For his valor and military skills, Colonel Cook was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for Valor and two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold and Silver Stars, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Combat Diver Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations.

Henry Cook is now twice retired, as a soldier and as a lawyer and resides in Diamondhead, Mississippi. He is a member of the Pro Bono Consortium representing veterans who appeal denial of claims and is a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. He’s been a member of the Mississippi Bar Association since 1978 and also serves as a Municipal Judge Pro Tem in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Other significant contributions to veterans by Henry Cook include: a major role in the creation of the Mississippi Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Ocean Springs and helping raise over $500,000 to help MOPH members in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. In addition to MOPH, he also belongs to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Special Forces Association (SFA), Special Operations Association (SOA), Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW).

You can read more about Col. Henry in this PDF file on pages 31 & 32.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives
so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.
For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

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Captain Michael 'Scott' Speicher ~ Home, At Last

Captain Michael 'Scott' Speicher
July 12, 1957 - January 17, 1991

The current headstone at Arlington National Cemetery

Today, we awakened to the news that the remains of Navy Captain Michael 'Scott' Speicher have been found and identified. Cpt Speicher's F-18 was shot down in Iraq on the opening day of the Gulf War. At long last, some Iraqi's came forward with information about his burial site, where he was buried by the Bedouins. Scott has been the face of POW/MIA's since 1991. His family has been able to keep the media focused on his MIA status. Today, they can grieve, they can bury their husband and father, they have an answer.

Since 2003, rarely a week goes by that I don't address a letter to FOB Speicher, and more recently, COB Speicher, a base in Tikrit, Iraq. I have thought of him and his family each time I do and hoped for a resolution for them and for his friends and shipmates.

Most everyone is posting on this - there is not a lack of information about his loss, his legacy, the conspiracy theories, the memories - so, let us not forget the man and his family today.

Welcome Home, Captain Michael Scott Speicher. You have not been forgotten.

Tributes at Asymmetric here and here for a Google earth picture of FOB Speicher.
Extensive compilation of news reports over the years at Arlington Cemetery. net

Captain Speicher received regular promotions during his years MIA - when he disappeared, he was a LtCommander, promotions continued during his MIA status.