Charles M. Cooke, Jr.

Charles Maynard "Savvy" Cooke Jr. (19 December 1886 – 24 December 1970), was a United States Navy admiral who saw service in World War I and World War II and later served as commander of United States Seventh Fleet from 1946 to 1947 and commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Western Pacific from 1947 to 1948.

Biography Cooke was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on 19 December 1886. In 1906, after receiving a degree from the University of Arkansas, he entered the United States Naval Academy, graduating second in the Class of 1910. Between then and 1913, during which time he was commissioned as an ensign, Cooke served in the battleships , , and . He then received submarine instruction and, as a lieutenant, junior grade, took command of the submarine . From 1916 to 1918, he was assigned to shipyard inspection duty at Quincy, Massachusetts. Promoted to lieutenant in June 1917 and receiving a wartime temporary promotion to lieutenant commander in July 1918, he supervised the outfitting of the submarine and became her commanding officer when she was commissioned in January 1919.

In 1919 and 1920, Lieutenant Commander Cooke repeated the process for the larger submarine , distinguishing himself when she accidentally sank on 1 September 1920 by saving the lives of 37 men trapped in her wreck. This is documented in A. J. Hill's book, "Under Pressure: The Final Voyage of Submarine S-5". until after the end of World War II in 1945, serving as Chief of Naval Plans and as Advocate for Naval Management of War in Pacific and working on issues related to the Navys transition from a battleship-centered orientation to one focused on aircraft carrier task forces. He was present at Omaha Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, and finished the war as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations with the rank of vice admiral.

Cooke retired from the navy at the beginning of May 1948.

Cooke was married to the former Mary Louise Cooper (1887-1976). In retirement he made his home in Sonoma County, California.

Death Cooke died in Palo Alto, California, on 24 December 1970. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.