The Marine Corps Reserve Association presented Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) with the Association’s highest honor, the “Non-Sibi, Sed Patriae” (Not for Self, But for Country). The criteria for being honored with the award is to show consistent devotion to the interests of the national defense, the Marine Corps, and the Marine Corps Reserve.
Cook started his military career in 1966 as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. For his service in Vietnam, Cook received two Purple Hearts, Combat Action Ribbons, and a Bronze Star with a “V” for gallantry. He served in the Marine Corps for 26 years, retiring as a colonel in 1992. He then went on teach at Copper Mountain College, then served on the Yucca Valley Town Council before being elected to the California State Assembly. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. This year, he was elected as a San Bernardino County supervisor for District 1 and will begin his service in January.
