Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-30
REWARD FOR A BRAVE DEED
Corporal Cox Performed Heroic Act
Which Government Recognises.
HUNDRED MILES OF BLIZZARD
Goes Alone Thirty Miles to Locate
and DrHRs Him sixty
Five Miles 60 Hospital
I'm safety,

Among the recent awards OF merit certi-
ficates to soldiers IN the regular army
for exceptionally gallant and meritorious
services between July l, 1908, and June 30,
1909, was one to Corporal Roy +. Cox of
the United states signal corps, formerly
OF Fort Omaha. lie lie we'll known To man.
Omahsns, as well as regarded as one OF
the most competent and valuable men In
the signal service by his commanders, In
Guiding Lieutenant w. A. Glassford. under
whom Corporal Cox received most of his
signal corps Instruction. being a product
of the Fort Omaha Signal school,
Corporal Cox 10 still a member OF the
Signal Corps on duty in Alaska, He won
his medal for an act in December of last
year, which the war department has Of.
ficially recorded as highly meritorious.'
Usually no adjeCtives age used by the
War department. Corporal Cox was sta
toned near Sitka. Alaska, One day the
commanding officer at Fort Gibbon. got
Information that a civilian who was travel.
ing in Alaska wilds alone was stormbound
and perishins about thirty miles north of
the post and siXty-five miles distant from
Fairbanks. The company was formed and
the commanding officer told the men that
a volunteer was needed to make an at
tempt to rescue the stranger. A blizzard
was raging and the man who was to go
knew that he would 20 alone and that
he would have to make the Journey on
snowshoes and drag a sled on which he
would have to draw the stranger. IL founl
alive, to some distant place. probably to
Fairbanks, where hospital accommoda-
tons were available for his treatment.
Corporal Cox stepped out of The ranks
and said he was ready to go at once. Two
800. -
small sled, left Fort Gibbon. Most Of the
delay in getting away was due TO The
farewells he had to make, for few Of his
comrades OF Company X believed that he
would ever return.
Through Banks of snow.
Despite the conditions, the snow banks
in places being very high, while the Hind
blew with the velocity OF a huIr,ca 4 and
all the time a binding snow s,ultn raging
Cox worked his way, lie averas,d Ten
miles a day and tow ard the e.ose Of the
third day he found the lost stranger. It
took Cox a day TO get the man he had
rescued in shape to weather the rsiXty-tive
miles to Fairbanks. However, after zen
days of the hardest kind of work he sue
ceeded in reaching Fairbanks. dragging
the sled with the half-dead man on Il. He
delivered the stranger to the hospital su-
thorities. The next day he was on his way
back 30 Fort Gibbon, In the course " n
week he reported to the commanding Of
ficer at Fort Gibbon.
Il have performed the duty, sir"
The commanding officer grasped his hand
and in turn so did every other officer and
man of Company K, for none begrudged
Corporal Cox the certificate OF merit thar
all recognized that he had earned.
In due course of time the official report
of Cox's deed was forwarded to Washing
ton and the coveted certificate was
awarded.
Colonel Glassford feels a personal pride
in the achievement Of Corporal Cox and he
remarked --r IT,. .s .-
That is the kind OF stuff that signal
corps men are made Of"
Corporal Cox Is now a sergeant and haV-
ing completed his tour of duty in Alaska
is again on duty at Fort Omaha. He re-
turned to Fort Omaha a few months ago
from Fort Gibbon.