Obituary: Loring Cox, Jr. April 24, 1919 – Dec. 29, 2020
LORING COX, JR. April 24, 1919 – Dec. 29, 2020
Loring Cox, Jr. was born on April 24, 1919 to Thomas Loring Cox and Araminta (Ninnie) Cox in Birch River, West Virginia. He grew up on a farm in rural West Virginia, back when rural meant very basic, as one of ten children.
After finishing school, he started working at a law firm, but soon had an opportunity to get a job with the federal government, which paid better and had more job security.
At the outbreak of World War II, he was stationed in Bermuda. He volunteered for the Army Air Corps, much to the displeasure of his boss. He wasn’t able to qualify as a pilot but settled for the role of navigator bombardier. He was originally stationed at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, where he met Ruth Martin, who became his wife in a ceremony after the morning church service in Florence, South Carolina on March 7, 1944 shortly before he was sent to Europe. In Europe he flew many missions into Germany in light bombers, and he was proud that all the missions he navigated came back safely.