Harold J Cooke was born on 5 July 1921 in Rowan County, North Carolina.  He graduated from Central Carrabus High School in Concord in 1941, and entered the service on 8 September 1942. He served the tail gunner on a B-17F (serial number 42-30076) that belonged to the 545 Bombardment Squadron of the 385 Bombardment Group.  The pilot of the B-17 was Lt. Robert Oblinski.  On 22 June 1943, the crew was flying on its first mission.  The target was to bomb the (former General Motors) truck factory at Antwerp.  The B-17 successfully bombed its target, but it developed engine difficulties and fell out of formation.  Eight German FW 109 fighters attacked the isolated bomber. By the time it passed over the town of Goes in the Netherlands, three of the four engines were on fire and Oblinski gave the order to bail out. They jumped near the town of Wilhelminadorp. The German fighters turned their machine guns on the airmen as they fell to the ground. George died because his parachute failed to open. The remaining six crew members were taken prisoner.  The waist gunner, George Waterman, and the flight engineer, Ernest Trickett, are also buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery.

Information provided by Menno Polderman