| A Calhoun man mourns his foster son who was killed in Iraq on Christmas Eve. 12/29/03
By Marie Niesse, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer
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Command Sgt. Maj. Eric F. Cooke (right) poses with Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., in Iraq last week. Gingrey brought a sampling of school supplies collected by the Rome Rotary Club for Iraqi children.
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CALHOUN — Whether it was for trying to lift the spirits of his fellow soldiers or working to help the children of Iraq get a better education, Command Sgt. Maj. Eric F. Cooke was remembered Sunday as a man who fought to make a difference. Cooke, 43, was killed in Iraq on Christmas Eve. On Sunday, his foster father Tom Maurer, who lives in Calhoun, talked about the fallen soldier. “The night he was killed, he gave blood for another soldier who was shot in the leg by a bullet,” Maurer said. “He’d take on every project you could ask for.” Maurer, who lives at 175 Hammond St. with his wife Stephanie, was also Cooke’s uncle by marriage and had served in the Army himself in past years. Cooke had served in the First Brigade, First Armored Division, and was in charge of morale, individual and group needs, and logistics among his 4,000 troops. “(Cooke) was as close with a captain as he was with all the officers who served under him, and he was highly respected for what he knew,” Maurer added. That’s unusual because there’s normally tension between officers and enlisted soldiers like Cooke, explained Ann E. Wood, whose husband, Capt. Adlai B. Wood, was a close friend of Cooke’s. The Woods stopped by to visit the Maurers on Sunday. She revealed a large coin etched with “Task Force Armored Division” and icons designating Cooke’s role. “He’d give out these coins whenever soldiers looked worried, and they’d keep them in their pockets,” she said. Maurer said his foster son had stayed in contact with him via e-mail on a daily basis since Cooke was sent to Iraq in April for an expected stay of one year. The North Georgia community got more involved in Cooke’s life through those intimate contacts he maintained. Cooke had a friend in Germany who had written a letter to the Rotary Club requesting school supplies for children in Baghdad. Rome’s David Hunter, a Rotary Club member, responded by collecting 3,400 pounds of goods... “It’s a tragedy that he lost his life,” Hunter said. “All the people that knew him said he was a great guy.”
HUNDREDS PAY TRIBUTE TO V CORPS SERGEANT MAJOR KILLED IN IRAQ
By Karl Weisel
104th Area Support Group Public Affairs Office FRIEDBERG, Germany – They say the measure of a person’s life is calculated in the lives he touches in the course of a lifetime.
Judging by the hundreds of German and American Soldiers, dignitaries and friends who came from places near and far to pay their respects at Ray Barracks here Jan. 3, V Corps’ Command Sgt. Maj. Eric F. Cooke left a legacy that will long be remembered.
Cooke, command sergeant major of 1st Armored Division’s 1st Brigade, was killed Dec. 24 when his vehicle struck an explosive device north of Baghdad, Iraq.
The brigade’s senior NCO was remembered as a leader who refused to sit behind a desk and who consistently stepped into harm’s way to take care of “his” Soldiers. Close to 400 people filled Ray Barracks’ Old Ironsides Theater seats and aisles Saturday afternoon for a memorial ceremony for Cooke that featured inspirational music, speakers and a slide presentation.
“He was the finest noncommissioned officer with whom I’ve ever had the pleasure to serve,” said Col. Peter Mansoor, 1st Brigade commander, describing Cooke as a “caring and compassionate leader” who “set the standard” and “worked ceaselessly to ensure Soldiers had what they needed to get the job done.”
“Command Sgt. Maj. Cooke taught me that taking care of Soldiers was the most important mission,” said Sgt. Calvin Williams of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade. “As I got to know him in Baghdad, I found out that he believed that every NCO had the potential to become like him. It was the standard he set.”
“He was always with his men, and he died as he lived -- being a Soldier’s Soldier,” said 1st Sgt. David Henry, of V Corps’ 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, based in Buedingen, Germany. “He was an anchor. He was always mentoring and building tomorrow’s Army.”
Henry, who served with Cooke when he was the senior noncommissioned officer with 1/1st Cavalry, said Cooke and his wife, Dagmar, “cared for more Soldiers and their families than anyone I’ve seen in my career in the Army. … He’ll be truly missed by all here today and those serving their country in Iraq.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Schindler, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, began his tribute to the 43-year-old NCO by reciting the NCO Creed. “CSM Cooke is the type of NCO this creed applies to or it could have been written about,” Schindler said, adding, “He is one of the best men I’ve ever met. … He was a man whose guidance and wisdom were trusted completely.
“You could not help but be touched by him,” added Schindler, describing the 25-year Army veteran as a leader who truly cared about what was best for his Soldiers, his unit, his family and friends. “He would say, ‘If someone is going to be hurt, I’d rather it be me.’”
“He lives on in our spirit and actions,” Schindler said.
“Command Sgt. Maj. Cooke was a friend, a colleague and in some ways a mentor,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Bryan Walker. The chaplain told those assembled how his personal relationship with Cooke helped him “be a better chaplain, a better officer” and a “better person.” Cooke’s life and work was an inspiration for others to live their lives with “integrity, courage and conviction,” he said.
Cooke, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Jan. 5. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit and Purple Heart.
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No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety. Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment. Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders! |
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