bb643d5a-2ce2-4038-ad30-62c1915753ab

Cook, Luther Tom_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4.mp4

Luther Thomas “Tom” Cook, Jr. born in Portsmouth, Virginia, 20th of July, 1924. His father was in the Marine Corps in World War I and a member of his family has fought in a war since 1637. His family moved from Virginia to North Carolina during the Depression, to a small town called Murphysboro. Tom is asked why he came back to the 50th anniversary in Guam and he says it is his love of the Guamanian people and to see and walk over the areas that they fought over. He found the people honorable and loveable and could never forget them. The reunion in Guam was his first reunion with members of the 25th Seabees and he wanted to see those guys again. On December 7th, 1941, Tom remembers President Roosevelt’s speech over the battery radio at home. He was 17 and did not know where Pearl Harbor was. He joined in August 1942, after turning 18. Tom wanted to join the Marine Corps, but his dad wanted him to join the Navy in order to learn a trade, so he joined the Seabees – Naval Construction Battalions. Tom took the Navy boot training at Norfolk and traveled across America in a train. Arriving in California, the Marines dressed them in Marine clothing and said, do not mention you are Seabees. It was some secret at that time. In March 1943, they sailed on a Dutch ship named the Chaparro [sp?] to Samoa. Tom recalls that some guys on the ship knew nothing about that part of the world; they thought they were cannibals over there and were afraid of them. They made good friends among the Samoans. They were in Samoa for two months and then were outfitted in long johns to go to New Zealand where it was winter. They took the ship, President Hayes. Tom liked New Zealand for the people and the abundance of steaks, but hated the mutton. While in New Zealand, the Seabees constructed naval hospitals. They moved from New Zealand to Guadalcanal, in July ’43. November ’43 they landed in Bougainville and that was the first time they hit combat. Tom describes it as landing in a swamp with land crabs all over the beach. Tom was a BAR man and says that the thing he liked about the Browning Automatic Rifle was that it would go through coconut trees. At Bougainville the Seabees built a two lane highway and helped build an airstrip that Pappy Boyington flew from. From Bougainville, they went to the Marshall Islands to Quadraline. From there they headed over to Saipan in reserve for Saipan. They arrived out at Guam on the 20th of July, which was Tom’s birthday. Everyone was looking forward to this mission, and wanted to get it over with. The Seabees were in direct support and attached to the 3rd Marine Division. They were re-designated the 19th Marines, with the uniforms. Tom’s particular company directly supported the 3rd Regimental Marines Asan, left flank. Tom recalls running across the reef after being dropped off by the boat and watching for holes, being a BAR man, if he fell in any holes, he would drown. They dug foxholes, but had trouble with the tide. The Seabee’s mission was to keep the Marines supplied with everything they needed from ammunition to water. They also made roads with bulldozers for the Marines to bring their tanks through, sometimes using the bulldozers as weapons against the Japanese. The Seabees also built the Agana Bridge, which stands today. They built springs, water points and later, Quonset huts. They also worked on the B-29 fields. Tom’s unit didn’t get off Asan beach for ten days as they were defending the left flank. On the 10th day, the Marines were moving into Agana and Tom walked into town ahead of them in order to be the first soldier into Agana. During the banzai attack, they heard the shouting and shooting, but the tanks there on the left flank took care of them Tom’s assessment of the Japanese soldiers was that they were excellent, but they tended to operate a lot of times individually. They pulled the banzai and they knew that is the last rope.

U.S. National Park Service, War in the Pacific National Historical Park

This digital asset is in the public domain. This digital version was made possible through the National Park Service by a grant from the National Park Foundation through generous support from the Mellon Foundation. When using this asset for any purpose, including online, credit 'Courtesy U.S. National Parks'.

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War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Code: WAPA

Guam , Guam
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam , Guam
Latitude: 13.3905000686646, Longitude: 144.654006958008

ICMS (Interior Collection Managment System) : WAPA-00246
NPS Museum Number Catalog : WAPA 4170

War in the Pacific Oral Histories

2025/03/07

T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, Collections room, Safe and Shelf SLF D-01

Public Can View

Rose Manibusan, Jennifer Craig

Organization: American Memorial Park
Role: Chief Interpretation
Address: Micro Beach Road, Garapan, Mp 96950
Email: wapa_interpretation@nps.gov

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:13:01 AM

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:13:01 AM

Cook, Luther Tom_WAPA-246_WAPA 4170_OralHist_Video.mp4.mp4

mp4

1647.3 MB

Historic

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