Leonard Sumner Cox Obituary

Born Sep 26, 1919, Leonard Sumner Cox attended Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, FL. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Leonard Sumner Cox.

Graduation Year	Class of 1937
Date of Birth	Sep 26, 1919
Date of Passing	Aug 03, 1944
About	Leonard Cox Reported as Nazi Victim First Lieut. Leonard S. Cox of the Fifteenth Army Air Force, a past senior councilor of American Crusaders Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, reported missing after a bombing mission over Germany last August, has been listed as dead, it was announced yesterday by his widow, Mrs. Catherine Claire Cox of 1409 Cherry Street. Besides his widow, the young officer is survived by Linda Catherine, two-year-old daughter, his mother, Mrs. W. C. Parrish of 2927 Algonquin Avenue, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Sumner of 523 West Tenth Street, with who he lived while here. Mrs. Cox recently received the Purple Heart, which was awarded to her husband, Previously he had received the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He was a bombardier on a B-24 Liberator assigned to the Italian theatre of operations, and while on a a bombing mission over Germany on August 3, his plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft. He was on his thirty-first mission. He was reported missing after the flight and on March 12 th the War Department informed his widow that he was dead. "I do not believe that Leonard is dead," Mrs, Cox said yesterday. "Somehow I feel that he is alive" and will be coming home to us some day." The Liberator on which Lieutenant Cox was a member of the crew, suffered severe damage from the fire of German fighter planes which intercepted his formation in the vicinity of the target, Friedrichshafen. Germany, according to information Mrs. Cox received from the commanding general of the Fifteenth Air Force. .Mrs. Cox learned of her husband's death in a letter from Lieut. Gen. Barney M. Giles, deputy commander, Army Air Forces. "With great regret I have learned that your husband, previously reported missing since August 3, 1944, died while he was in action on that date in Germany," wrote the officer. "Word has come to me that Lieutenant Cox benefiting from a cooperative attitude and conscientious, energetic performance of duty, established a fine record while at Midland Army Air Field. He was a resourceful officer of unquestioned courage who was determined to excel as a bombardier, and his good disposition coupled with integrity, commanded the friendly respect of all his associates." Lieutenant Cox enlisted April, 1942, in the Infantry and was transferred to an air cadet status in December of that year. He was commissioned in July, 1943, and went overseas in February, 1944. He graduated from Andrew Jackson senior high school in 1937 and later from Cumberland University, Lebanon. Tenn., with law degree in 1940. He was a member of Lamda Chi Alpha fraternity.