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aircraft flight. Due to his dogged determination, the flight was eventually officially recognized in 1940 as the first powered flight. Weir Cook was a member of the
Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Airport Siting Committee, which picked the site for the Indianapolis airport. The airport opened in 1931 and Cook was the airport’s first manager.
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National
Aeronautics Commission in Indianapolis and was later the first American Legion National Director of Aviation. Cook became involved in recognizing the Wright Brothers’ contributions to flying. The Smithsonian did not recognize the brother’s flight at “Kitty Hawk” in 1903 as the first powered
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The
Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harvey Weir Cook, Captain (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Crepion, France, October 30, 1918. Captain Cook attacked three enemy bi-place planes at an altitude of 1,000 meters. After a few minutes of severe fighting his
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The
Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Harvey Weir Cook, Captain (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Bois-de-Dole, France, August 1, 1918. Sighting six enemy mono- place planes at an altitude of 3,500 meters, Captain Cook, attacked them despite their numerical
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in
Indianapolis. Cook was a pioneer in bringing Indianapolis its first principal airport, Indianapolis Municipal Airport which opened in Indianapolis in 1931. Construction cost $ 724,000, and the airport terminal building was completed for $ 125,000. Later in Indianapolis, he was involved in the
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Cook and
Rickenbacker became friends, known to each other as "Weird" and "Rick". Both were strong proponents of more adequate training for rookie combat pilots, having themselves benefited from aerial combat training by Lafayette Escadrille veteran Raoul Lufbery and others.
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and was one of the first transcontinental airmail pilots. Cook spent only a few months (from August 23, 1920 until
December 8, 1920) in the airmail service. During that time, he was assigned for three months to the Western Division. After flying the
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Captain Weir Cook was credited with seven victories, including four enemy balloons, and he was promoted to captain in 1919. He was honorably discharged from the 94th Aero
Squadron on 2 Jun 1919 and assumed command of the
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He also served with the civilian aviation industry in multiple duties such as working on the
Hoffman cabin-chute for passenger transport airplanes. Cook’s 1926 air race pilot license was signed by friend and cohort
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guns jammed, but after clearing the jam he returned to the attack, shot down one of his adversaries in flames, and forced the other two to retire to their own lines.
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340:. Incredibly aggressive in combat, he was twice cited for singly attacking formations of multiple German fighters. He was awarded the
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in
Section O, Grave 440. In his honor, the Indianapolis Municipal Airport was renamed Weir Cook Municipal Airport and in 1944 a
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recipient. He was also a pioneer in civilian commercial aviation and a leading figure in the development of aviation in the
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on 18 Sep 1919. On 26 Dec 1919 Cook was relieved of command of 147th Aero Squadron and honorably discharged.
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when Harvey Weir Cook was very young. He graduated from Anderson High School and attended college at both
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by Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey (Illustrator) / Paperback / Osprey Publishing (September 25, 2001)
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early in 1917. When the U. S. entered the war, Cook enlisted in the aviation section of the
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324:"Weir", as he was known, left Washington and Jefferson University to drive an ambulance in
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by Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey / Hardcover / Grub Street the Basement (May 1992)
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After December 7, 1941, Cook achieved the rank of colonel in the 38th Division of the
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route, he called those 150 miles "the rottenest stretch of territory in the country."
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Wing from Harvey Weir Cook's crashed P-39K-1-BE Airacobra Serial Number 42-4285
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service as a procurement officer and became the commander of air bases in
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was named H. Weir Cook. In 1976, Weir Cook Municipal Airport was renamed
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424:. Cook served for many years as director and vice president of the
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United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II
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Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
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Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in France
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terminal building and entrance road are named in his honor.
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superiority, shooting down one and driving off the others.
469:(Ouassio Hill) crashing to his death. He is buried at the
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Cook was born in Wilkinson, Indiana, to Dr. B. H. Cook of
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Burials in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
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List of World War I flying aces from the United States
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United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
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United States Army Air Service pilots of World War I
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650:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943
244:(June 30, 1892 – March 24, 1943) was an American
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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105:Captain Harvey Weir Cook, 94th Aero Squadron
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625:Washington & Jefferson College alumni
471:National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
155:National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
461:in order to find and to bomb a reported
610:United States Army Air Forces colonels
382:, Cook helped to form the U.S. Army’s
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479:Indianapolis International Airport
294:Washington & Jefferson College
266:Indianapolis International Airport
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348:. His citations read as follows:
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635:American World War I flying aces
532:The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
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300:. At DePauw he was a member of
201:Air Service, United States Army
187:Air Service, United States Army
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600:People from Anderson, Indiana
467:struck the side of a mountain
191:United States Army Air Forces
630:United States airmail pilots
519:American Aces of World War 1
336:'s famous "Hat in the Ring"
342:Distinguished Service Cross
254:Distinguished Service Cross
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407:of Indiana, located in at
412:development of the first
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595:DePauw University alumni
457:airbase piloting a Bell
298:Washington, Pennsylvania
32:This article includes a
61:more precise citations.
530:"Harvey Weir Cook" in
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585:Aviators from Indiana
405:Curtis Flying Service
384:U.S. Air Mail Service
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318:Foucaucourt Aerodrome
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409:Stout Army Air Field
290:Greencastle, Indiana
364:147th Aero Squadron
302:Delta Kappa Epsilon
280:, who had moved to
16:American flying ace
418:United States Army
338:94th Aero Squadron
334:Eddie Rickenbacker
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278:Wilkinson, Indiana
206:94th Aero Squadron
157:, Honolulu, Hawaii
124:Wilkinson, Indiana
34:list of references
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330:Army Signal Corps
286:DePauw University
282:Anderson, Indiana
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135:(1943-03-24)
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67:January 2023
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575:1943 deaths
570:1892 births
441:located in
380:World War I
308:World War I
250:World War I
246:fighter ace
230:World War I
59:introducing
564:Categories
513:References
272:Early life
163:Allegiance
117:1892-06-30
463:submarine
485:See also
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