Evening star., 1953-05-07
Ex-POW Eager for New Feet
So He Can Return to School
By WiIIiom H. Shippen

By WiIIiom H. Shippen
Probably the youngest POW
to spend % months as a Red
captive reached Walter Reed
Hospital late yesterday, eager
to be fitted with artificial feet
so he can catch up with his high
school mates back in Alabama.
Pfc. Tully Cox, who considers
himself a lucky man, is a bit
worried. however. for fear his
folks in Altoona, will learn
the nature of his injuries before
he is able to walk through their
front door and break the news
gently.
Pvt. Cox. now 20 years old,
neglected to mention the matter
when he put through a long
distance call to Mr.. and Mrs.
Tom Cox few days ago, imme-
diately after landing in Cali
fornia.
WAS I glad to hear their
voices" he exclaimed.
This was his biggest thrill
since he left Alabama in May,
1850, as an Army volunteer at
the age of II. Bigger than the
word of his liberation. Or the
taste of coffee and a chocolate
milk shake.
Hides Some Information.
Tully, who looks like a high
school quarterback and talks
with the drawl of the North
Alabama hills, told his story in
bits and pieces, drawn from him
by the questions of half a dozen
reporters.
Quite obviously he was aware
that other amputees in the long
ward had more battle expert
ence than he ever saw. He kept
his voice lowered accordingly
and minded his answers. There
were gaps in his story-ques-
tons about distressing things
which he answered only with a
wide grin and shake of his head,
or a few words like:
IT'D rather not discuss that, If
you don't mind"
He said he had told every
thing to military questioners in
Tokyo, and. in addition to his
instructions, there were certain
things which he personally pre-
ferred to forget-if he could.
Tully enlisted after complet-
ing the 10th grade. or TIE
equivalent of his second year in
high school, while his family
was living in Snead. Ala.
BY September, 1850, he was in
Korea. He saw several months
of violent action and, by late
November was following the re-
treating North Koreans with his
buddies of the 36th Regiment,
7th Division.
Chinese Pour Over River.
It was about this time that
the Chinese Reds poured across
the Yalu River and came down
from the Northwest on the left
flank and to the rear Of the
division.
"Our battalion got cut off,"
Tully said. 1T was near the
Chosin Reservoir. On December
/, a mortar shell fragment hit
me in the right leg and q ma
chine-gun bullet in the left.
"The next day I was hit by
another fragment, and then,
when the Chinese closed in.
got hit over the head with a
rife. There were only about
five left in our company by that
time. as far as I knew"
In answer to questions. Tully
added the Chinese then captured
him.
"They took me north in an OK
sled and an OK cart with some
others. To a place spelled Con-
gay, I think.
"The Chinese turned us over
to the North Koreans. For five
months and seven days, they
kept us in what we called Death
Valley"
Tully politely declined to dis
cuss this period.
Could he walk? Did he nearly
freeze to death in the winter
SHOWS? Was he cruelty treated? i?
What did the GIs do?"
well. some of them carried
wood down out of the noun
tains." he said. ''I didn't, Of
course"
Given Over to Chinese.
With the coming of spring,
they were sent to POW Camp
No. l at Changsung, arriving
April 26, Tully said. Here they
were handed back to the Chi
neSe.
did you get any medical
treatment in Death Valley?"
Tully shook his head. He was
asked when he lost his feet and
reV1liAd.