More detail on this person: Frank A. Shook Jr. Frank A. Shook Jr., Col-Ret., 88, of Tower, formerly of Lake Vermilion-Cook, passed away at the Golden Horizons Assisted Living Center in Tower, on Sunday, August 1, 2010. He was born on August 8, 1921, in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Fairfax High School, then attended Los Angeles City College from 1939 to 1941. He entered the Naval Air Cadet Program in July 1942 and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in June 1943. He was a Primary flight Instructor at the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Ottumwa, IA and Flight Instructor at the NAS in New Orleans, Louisiana, until June 1944. He took Multi-Engine Flight and Instrument Training until December 1944. He was an Instrument Flight Instructor at the Marine Corps Air Station in El Toro, CA from January 1945 to July 1945. He was transferred to the Pacific Theater in August 1945 and served as a fighter and transport pilot in China and the South Pacific until June 1946. He transferred to the Marine Air Group 12 at the El Toro MCAS. Frank attended Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia from August 1949 to September 1950. He became a helicopter instructor at the Marine Corps Educational Command in October 1950. Frank served as Operations Officer for Helicopter Squadron 161 in South Korea in late 1953. After Korea, Frank was Operations Officer for Marine Air Group 26 MCAF in New River, North Carolina from 1953 through 1956. In addition he served as Operations Officer for Helicopter Squadron 362 at the Bikini atomic tests August 1956. Frank became Marine Air Group Operations Officer MAG 26 from 1957 to 1960. He was with the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 1961. From 1962 to 1963, Frank was Commanding Officer of Helicopter Squadron 261 in Danang, South Vietnam. After service in Vietnam, Frank was reassigned to Quantico, VA as Operations Officer for Marine Air Group 26 until 1967. Frank was assigned Commanding Officer of the Marine Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan until 1969. In 1969 Frank returned to Vietnam serving as Helicopter Operations Officer for the 1st Marine Air Wing and Division Air Officer for the 1st Marine Division in Danang, South Vietnam until 1970. After Vietnam, Frank served as Chief Instructor at the Command and Staff College, and later as Assistant Director from 1970 to 1973. He retired as a full Colonel in 1973 after 30 years, 11 months and 22 days. During his service he received the following decorations: Legion of Merit with Combat V, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with Combat V, Air Medal with Combat V, Navy Commendation Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation (2). Frank married Barbara Raps in 1946. While in the service they lived in El Toro, CA, Quantico, VA and Iwakuni, Japan. After retirement, Frank and Barb lived in Leisure World, Santa Ana, CA. They moved to Lake Vermilion in 1978 where they were active in the Raps Road Association, the Lake Vermilion Sportsman's Club and other community affairs. Frank introduced many local pilots to aviation through his ground schools and flight instruction courses. In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his wife, Barbara on 23, 2002; brother-in-law Greg Raps. SERVICES: At Frank's request, private family graveside services were held at the Cook Community Cemetery. Rev. Melissa Stoller was the officiant. Military honors were accorded by the combined honor guards of the Cook Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1757 and the Orr American Legion Post #480.
Burial information: Cook Cemetery, Cook, MN
This information was last updated 08/17/2020
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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