1st Lt. Charles W. McCook, 23, WWII MIA/KIA, Georgetown, TX, 31 July 2025

[markwells]

Confirmed Mission: The family of 1st Lt. Charles W. McCook has invited the PGR to participate in the repatriation of his remains to Texas.  Lt McCook served in the US Army Air Corps and became missing in action in the summer of 1943 while supporting operations in the Indo-Pacific Region.  His plane was shot down over Burma.  The crew was buried by locals and recovered by the Army in 1947. The remains had no identifying information and were interred at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI in a grave of unknowns.

Using modern day DNA analysis his remains were identified earlier this year and will be returned to Georgetown on Thursday, July 31st with a reinterment in the IOOF Cemetery on Saturday, August 2nd.

More about this WWII hero can be read here and here.

Date/Time: Thursday, 31 July 2025. See timeline below.

Location: The Gabriels Funeral Chapel, 393 N Interstate Hwy 35, Georgetown, TX 78628.  map link.

Timeline:
11:50 – 12:20 pm – Staging
12:20 pm – Briefing
12:30 pm – Approximate time of flag line.

Wx: High 98 deg, partly cloudy

Notes:  Bring drinking water for yourself and a friend.  This mission is a flag line only at the funeral home for the arrival of 1st Lt McCook and his family from ABIA.

Ride Captain: Mark Wells, atxpgr@gmail.com, 512-470-0380
Flag Wrangler: Mark Wells

Please attend to honor the ultimate sacrifice of this airman so many years ago.

• This topic was modified 2 weeks ago by markwells.

[markwells]

13 PGR gathered at the Gabriels Funeral Chapel in Georgetown to form a flag line in honor of 1LT Charles “Woody” McCook who made the ultimate sacrifice during WWII. He and his family were escorted from ABIA by about three dozen LEO motorcycles and additional police vehicles from various agencies. The procession included a US Army honor guard team which moved the casket into the funeral home while the LEO and others saluted. It was a moving sight.

Afterward, Patti joined me inside where we met with his niece and nephew and presented them a gold plated PGR challenge coin reserved for the families of our KIA. We also gave them the PGR condolence card we all signed, including first time rider, Nick.

1LT Woody McCook was lost in battle 82 years ago. It was a great honor and privilege to participate in his return to Texas.

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