Frank Milford Cookson, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 19, 1921, grew up in Los Angeles, CA. The day following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he left his studies at UCLA and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. As a B-26 pilot of the 452nd Squadron of the 322nd Bomb Group he flew 66 combat missions over Europe. He participated in the D-day invasion flying 3 missions, and among his decorations is the Distinguished Flying Cross.
(excerpt from The 9th Air Force in World War II. by Ken C. Rust, pp 92-93.) "On the night of 7/8 July, 1944 the 322nd Bomb Group; 'Nye's Annihilators', dispatched 32 B-26s plus three pathfinders to attack the NOBALL HDQTRs. At Chateau de Ribeaucourt ... some 20 night fighters were active against the Marauders ... nine bombers were lost, two damaged beyond repair and three slightly damaged....
"One of the B-26s flying the mission was HOMESICK, piloted by 1st Lt. Frank M. Cookson. On the bomb run the middle bomb hung up, and on their way down the other bombs bounced off of it, creating a terrible and frightening noise through the plane. This was only a beginning, however, as a Ju 88 picked out HOMESICK and made four determined passes, aided by a strong concentration of searchlights that coned the Marauder all the way. In three passes the Ju 88 nearly picked HOMESICK apart with its 20 mm cannon. On its fourth pass it knocked out the top turret but not before the gunner (S/Sgt/ J.K. Brandemihl) aided by the tail gunner (Sgt. Robert E. Johnson) scored direct hits on it. The Ju 88 burst into flames and went out of control.
"Injured in the leg when his top turret was shot out Sgt. Brandemihl left his position, applied a tourniquet to the injury and staggered forward to the cockpit for further medical aid. Behind him the waist gunner and tail gunner, believing the shattered plane to be out of control, bailed out over enemy territory. Later, the waist gunner's flak suit was found peppered with shell fragments and both waist gun barrels had large holes shot through them.
"As it returned across the Channel, HOMESICK had half its rudder surface shot off, its rudder and elevator trim tabs smashed, hydraulic reservoir, generators and top turret shot out, and the entire electrical system seriously impaired from direct hits. The B-26 managed to reach the RAF field at Tangmere where it crash landed without further injury to the crew. HOMESICK had come home, but for the last time — she was beyond repair."
After military service, Frank married Margaret Ann Lewis of Harrisburg, IL on Feb. 17, 1946. They have three children, Chris, James, Nancy and five grandchildren, Eric, Joann, Jeremy, Sam and Sarah. After 38 years of loyal service to Shell Oil Co. Frank retired to Grass Valley, CA. There he pursued his hobby of building oak furniture until his death on October 31, 2000.