First Lieutenant Cox was the pilot of a F-86F Sabrejet with the 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group. On 11 July 1953, while on a combat mission, his aircraft collided with another F-86, disintegrated, crashed and burned. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 12 July 1954. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, First Lieutenant Cox was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.