World War II Honoree

Frederick Cooper

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Steward Third Class. He was inducted into the United States Navy November 13, 1942 at Shreveport, Louisiana, with recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from boot camp and Culinary Schooling, he was transferred to the USS Spence Destroyer, DD-512 for duty as a Culinary Specialist, responsible for provisioning and preparing food for all personnel on board his ship. The Destroyer and her shipmates on November 20, 1944 rendezvous with a fast carrier striking forces in the Philippine Sea for the impending invasion of the Philippine Islands. Reported missing in action, lost at sea Monday, December 18, 1944 when his warship capsized, sinking off-shore of Luzon Island, during Typhoon Cobra AKA: Typhoon of 1944. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery at Fort William-McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.