Cook sustained a shrapnel wound to her right arm when German bombing struck her field hospital in Italy, yet continued caring for patients under fire.
In early January 1944, while serving at a U.S. Army field hospital in the Presenzano sector of Italy, Cordelia Cook was wounded when German artillery and bombing struck the medical facility where she was stationed. She suffered a shrapnel wound to her right arm during the attack.
Despite her injury, Cook reportedly continued tending to wounded soldiers, refusing to abandon her post even as the facility came under direct enemy fire. This act of extraordinary composure and dedication under combat conditions became a defining moment of her wartime service and would later factor into her receipt of the Purple Heart Medal, awarded to U.S. military personnel wounded or killed in action.
The incident illustrates the very real dangers faced by Army nurses serving near front lines during World War II—dangers not always fully appreciated by the public at the time, since nurses were often perceived as serving in safer, rear-echelon roles. Cook's willingness to remain at her station while wounded, continuing to provide care to other injured soldiers, exemplified the depth of commitment shown by military medical personnel throughout the Italian campaign.
Her injury and subsequent continued service became a celebrated example of nursing heroism, later cited in numerous historical accounts of women's contributions to the American war effort.