John Cook Prentice – Major, United States Army

Thanks To Gayle Alvarez of Idaho For Remembering Major Prentice:

Minutes before Armed Forces Day, John Cook Prentice, war hero, husband, father and grandfather met the Lord’s embrace on May 16, 2008. John spent his final days blanketed by his family’s love, and in the care and company of his fellow servicemen and women at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise. John Prentice will be laid to rest alongside his bride, Jean Maloney Prentice with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 4, 2008.

John, a retired U.S. Army officer, was decorated for valor and bravery in both World War II and the Korean War. John fought and served in both the European and Pacific theaters during the World War II. He fought in the North African and Italian campaigns, was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942, and battled up the Yalu River in Korea, provoking massive Chinese intervention.

Among the dozens of medals and honors, John Prentice was awarded Presidential citations for both World War II and Korea, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, Purple Hearts, the United Nations medal, and five stars for European, African, and Middle Eastern campaigns. In retirement, John served as President of the Military Engineer Society of Buffalo, New York, and President of the Retired Officers Association of Niagara Falls, New York. John Cook Prentice was born of American parents on July 1, 1920 in Ontario, Canada.

He grew up in Rochester, New York, with his six sisters and four brothers. He met his bride to be, the former Jean Maloney of Niagara Falls, New York, in December of 1953. Their love for their country, their fondness for slow dancing, and their passion for baseball kept the home ires burning through most of the Twentieth and into the Twenty-First Century. They loved, laughed and danced their way through Europe and the Americas. John Prentice is missed terribly but loved eternally by his two daughters, Pamela Storms and Robyn Prentice, both of Boise, his son George Prentice of Boise, and his son-in-law Kevin Storms of Boise. Of all of his titles and honors, his favorite was ‘grandpa.’

His story will be re-counted for years to come by his grandchildren, Anne Pieroni of Las Vegas and Laura Pieroni, Kate Storms, Peter Storms, and Andrew Storms, all of Boise. Donations in John Prentice’s name may be directed to the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

PRENTICE, JEAN M

• DATE OF BIRTH: 12/31/1927
• DATE OF DEATH: 11/29/2007
• BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 190
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF PRENTICE, JOHN C MAJ US ARMY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard