Thurlie Dan Cooke Sr. was born on September 25, 1912, in Wyoming County, West Virginia. He was the son of Aaron Elmer "Elmer" Cook and Ida Mae Dalton. He was married to Jacqueline Daisy Penturff Cooke and later to Ann Muriel Gillespie Cooke. He served in the 780th Bomber Squadron, 465th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Engineer of B-24 #42-78308 during World War II.

On August 3, 1944, the B-24 Liberator 42-78308 took part in a major bombing mission over Austria. As the formation passed through the heavily defended Tyrol region it was met by intense German resistance, including heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter interception. During this violent engagement, one of the largest air battles over Tyrol in the war in which eight B-24s from the same group were lost, the aircraft was critically hit and went down near Biberwier, Austria. It was destroyed, resulting in four crew members killed in action while the remaining crew survived by bailing out and were captured as prisoners of war.

SSgt Cooke successfully bailed out, was captured by German forces, and was held as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia. He died on August 7, 1989, and is now buried in the Greenlawn Memorial Park, Easley, Pickens County, South Carolina, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, Aviation Safety Network