Edward J. Cook was born in July 1925 in Brooklyn, New York [Annotator's Note: Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs in New York, New York]. He had one younger brother named William. His brother died mysteriously while he was living in Hawaii. Cook was not really close with his younger brother. He and his brother had different views on how to live life. He grew up in Forest Hills, New York and his father co-owned a business that worked in building heating and air conditioning. Edward's mother worked as a registered nurse until he was born then quit her job to be a full-time mother. His father was in the Army during World War 1 but was put on limited duties because he had a heart murmur. During the Great Depression, [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression, a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1945] Edward's father lost his business but found work as the chairman for the heating and air conditioning committee for Forest Hills. His father oversaw the bids of projects and made sure everything was up to code before the winner was selected. He was considered a trusted man by many of these businesses. He never took a bribe. Cook walked to school during his elementary education. He grew up in a close-knit neighborhood and had neighborhood friends that he played pick-up ball with. He went to Regis High School [Annotator's Note: in Manhattan, New York] which was run by Jesuit priests. Cook was in the building doing homework when he heard that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. As World War 2 commenced, men went off to war and others helped with the war effort. Cook was very sheltered because he was focused on his strenuous schoolwork.

After graduating high school at 17 years old, Edward J. Cook found work with the New York Life Insurance Company as a law clerk. This company had 17 law clerks, but after six months he was the only law clerk available because everyone else was drafted. Cook enlisted in the Army when he turned 18 years old. He was invited to join the Army Specialized Training Program [Annotator's Note: generally referred to just by the initials ASTP; a program designed to educate massive numbers of soldiers in technical fields such as engineering and foreign languages and to commission those individuals at a fairly rapid pace in order to fill the need for skilled junior officers]. The program was discontinued less than a year after he started while attending Cornell University [Annotator's Note: in Ithaca, New York]. Cook found out about the cancellation while he was in the hospital with pneumonia. Three days later he was sent to the Louisiana Maneuvers [Annotator's Note: series of Army exercises held in Louisiana] for training. He was then sent to Fort Benning [Annotator's Note: Fort Benning, Georgia] for basic training during the Spring of 1944. He was assigned to the 289th Infantry Regiment, 75th Infantry Division and deployed overseas to Europe. He thought it was an awkward arrangement that the Missouri National Guard was attached to his division. Cook did not like being told what to do by the sergeants. When he was sent overseas, he landed in Wales [Annotator's Note: Wales, England]. They moved around in England until they crossed the English Channel. He was in London [Annotator's Note: London, England] during the Blitz [Annotator's Note: German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom 1940 to 1941]. When Cook and his unit landed in France, their mission was to take the Maginot Line [Annotator's Note: a series of defensive fortifications roughly paralleling the Franco-German border built by France in the 1930s]. There was no enemy activity at this point in time. They were then put on a train and participated in the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945]. Cook was assigned as the company radio operator. He slept under trees and in the snow. Trench foot [Annotator's Note: immersion foot syndrome] was prevalent, and many men were taken off the line for the condition. One day, he was getting the daily codes for the radio at the company headquarters. The Germans zeroed in on the headquarters with 88 artillery [Annotator's Note: German 88mm multi-purpose artillery]. When the shells came through the headquarters, shrapnel was blown everywhere killing five of the six men, and wounding Cook. Medics were nearby, so he was able to get medical attention immediately. He was taken to a field hospital and woke up in a classroom somewhere in a Belgian town. The doctors had amputated his arm. This came as a serious blow to him, but he appreciated the care he received from the nurses.

Edward J. Cook was transferred to a Red Cross hospital ship somewhere in France. His arm was amputated because shrapnel had pierced through the ball and socket joint. Shrapnel also hit his right foot, so he could not walk for some time. They sailed across the Atlantic [Annotator's Note: Atlantic Ocean] with no problem and landed in Charleston, South Carolina. Cook was sedated for most of the trip. He was then loaded onto a train and went to a hospital in Atlantic City [Annotator's Note: Atlantic City, New Jersey]. He remained there for several months to heal. While there, he met a "Gray Lady" nurse [Annotator's Note: American Red Cross volunteers who worked in American hospitals, other health-care facilities, and private homes during World War 2] who he became friends with. Her father had acquired a cabin cruiser and Cook, having experience on these kinds of boats, taught her father how to operate it. Cook eventually was allowed to use the boat at his leisure. The Army required him to learn how to drive a car, dance, tie shoes, and acquire a state license. After completing those tasks, he was released from the Army in September 1945. He used the G.I. Bill for undergraduate and graduate studies. He then received a grant for his doctoral studies. He received his PhD in Economics in 1958 and taught at Fordham University [Annotator's Note: in Bronx, New York]. He eventually took the president position at C.W. Post College at Long Island [Annotator's Note: Long Island, New York] until his retirement in 1986. Two men who were graduates of C.W. Post created the biomedical patent for determining prenatal down syndrome. They eventually did not get along. When Cook retired, these men asked him to run the business side of the company for five years.

Edward J. Cook's most memorable experience is being wounded and receiving care from the medical staff of the Army. He is thankful for his service because of the great care he has received, the disability program, and the education he was given through the military benefit programs. He has a positive feeling toward the military and holds no animosity. World War 2 made the United States a world leader and the envy of every other nation because we have comfortable standards. He feels that is beginning to slip away. Cook believes that World War 2 should be looked on as a high point in American history and we should continue to teach it to future generations. He thinks that Europe would have lost the war without the assistance of America. This country would have never forgiven itself if it had let Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] take over Europe, and the same goes for the Japanese Empire. He is very proud to have participated in World War 2.