COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — In a special ceremony Thursday afternoon, 100-year-old Veteran Phillip “Bruce” Cook was Knighted by officials with the French government. Born in 1925, the Swansea native was only 17-years-old when he fibbed about his age, and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He became a ball-turret gunner in World War II — flying 35 missions over France and surrounding countries. Cook was honorably discharged in 1945. Now at 100-years-old, he was bestowed the French Legion of Honor — France’s highest order of merit — in front of a crowd of 100+ Veterans, state officials, and loved ones at the Jim Hamilton LB-Owens Airport in Columbia. He was officially Knighted by Annelaure Desjonqueres, the Consul-General of France in Atlanta — who says Cook helped liberate her country from tyranny 83 years ago. “All of this is so unreal to me. I mean — it’s no way you can explain how a person feels,” says Cook. Retired Staff Sergeant and now Sir Cook recalled his time in the ball-turret, saying, “To me that was the most comfortable place in the plane. I was accustomed to that. I fit in it pretty good.” On one mission, Cook says his parachute was not able to fit on his person inside the ball-turret. His pilot gave him some choice words of comfort. “He said ‘Well, just lay it aside, if we get shot down, maybe you’ll have a chance to get out and get your parachute. All I could think was what if we get shot down, I don’t have my parachute. That was my most stressful mission I went on,” says Cook. The French Legion of Honor was approved by France’s President Emmanuel Macron. “He’s now a Knight in the National Order in the Legion of Honor. It’s an order created by Napoleon over 200 years ago,” says Desjonqueres, adding, “For me, it’s extremely emotional to be able to show the gratitude of my people to (Veterans).” In his civilian life, Cook ran a jewelry store in downtown Lexington for over 20 years. He has two children — Peggy and Phil — and grandchildren. And Cook still attends church each week, saying, “The Lord’s just been good to me. I have really enjoyed life, and I just thank the Lord for what he’s done for me,” he says. Categories: Local News, News Tags: Bruce Cook, France, Knight, Veteran, WWII ...read more read less