🇺🇸 WAMBI COOK — HE REFUSED TO LEAVE HIS BROTHER BEHIND In Vietnam, Wambi Cook served as a paratrooper with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade—the legendary Sky Soldiers. During some of the fiercest fighting around Dak To, Cook found himself in a fight where men were wounded, ammunition was running low, and the enemy kept pressing the attack. Cook was wounded, yet he stayed in the fight. When two medics were badly wounded, Cook refused to abandon them. One of those medics was Rick Patterson, who was critically wounded but ultimately survived. Reinforcements could not immediately reach Cook's position. His fellow soldiers, themselves pinned down on higher ground, did what they could—they rolled grenades down to him. Cook used those grenades to defend his position while continuing to protect the wounded. Then came the moment that says everything about the man. He went back for the wounded medic. Under fire, Cook helped get him out. That's what the word brotherhood means. It isn't just a word veterans throw around. It is knowing that when everything has gone to hell, someone is willing to risk his own life to make sure you are not left behind. Wambi Cook survived Vietnam and went on to help preserve the stories and memories of the men of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. His story will also be featured in Killing Charlie, a forthcoming book preserving the combat experiences of Vietnam veterans. We owe men like Wambi Cook more than a thank-you.