First Lieutenant Cox was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Navy. In Korea, he was a member of Company C, 461st Infantry Battalion, Heavy Mortars, U.S. Army. He was listed as Missing in Action while fighting the enemy in North Korea on 13 July 1953. He was presumed dead on 14 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 Silver Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.