Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal - Indianapolis, Indiana
Posted by: 
gparkes
N 39° 42.858 W 086° 17.890
16S E 560157 N 4396283
Before Indianapolis International Airport received its "International" designation, it was known as the Weir-Cook Municipal Airport after Colonel H. Weir Cook. Today, that memory has been resurected through the naming of the terminal building.
Waymark Code: WM89Z5
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2010
Views: 18
Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal
Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis, Indiana
Until November 11, 2008, the airport passenger traffic was serviced for 51 years by the main terminal on the east side of the airport. On November 12, 2008, the Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal officially opened, giving a more modern atmosphere to travelers.
Colonel H. Weir Cook was born in Wilkenson, Indiana (located about 30 miles east of Indianapolis) on June 30, 1892. He gained notoriety through his service to the Army Air Corp in World War I. He received the Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster for single handedly attacking formations of multiple German fighters. His citations read:
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 superiority, shooting down one and driving off the others.
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 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.
After his service to his country he returned to his native Indiana. When the airport in Indianapolis opened in 1931, he became its first manager.
He was friends with Orville Wright. Of interest, a 1926 air racing licence was signed by Orville Wright. Throughout the 1930's, Cook campaigned to have the Wright brother's flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina acknowleded as the first powered flight. At the time, the Smithsonian failed to recognize this, however, in 1940, largely due to his tenacity, this was recognized world-wide as the first powered flight.
In World War II, his since of duty called him again. He had achieved the rank of Colonel in the Indiana Air Guard. He became the commander of the air base in New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean. On December 24, 1943, Cook died while hunting submarines. He misjudged his altitude and hit a mountain in clouds.
Websites of interest would have to include the following: