The NYC Veterans Oral History Project: Everett Cox

Biography:

Everett Cox served in the U. S. Army from 1966-1969.  He served in Vietnam in 1969 with the 245th Surveillance Airplane Company at Marble Mt. Airbase and was an aerial camera specialist. Mr. Cox has worked most of my life as a laborer. He lived and worked for 7 years at New Experimental College in Denmark and did 7 years of volunteer work with the Association of World Education, an NGO at the United Nations in New York trying to implement a global minimum wage.  He is currently the father of a 20 year-old son.  In this interview Mr. Cox describes being drafted for the Vietnam War and the experience of telling his story after forty years.

Interview Audio Log:

• 2:30 – Growing up during the Civil Rights movement; Getting drafted for the Vietnam War
• 19:53 – After 19 months and 10 days in Germany, getting orders to go to Vietnam; Jungle combat training
• 23:50 – Story about shooting a tree at combat training; remembers climbing trees as a child
• 25:47 – Last day of jungle combat training; reflection on bravery of men who stood up and said they did not want to go to Vietnam
• 31:03 – Coming home from Vietnam and hitchhiking around United States; visiting friends from Army
• 32:40 – Turning point when rocket attack happened; trying to get out and picking men up in moment of panic; feeling of not protecting other soldiers and “putting himself first”
• 41:05 – Back at home; Going to shoot targets with brother; shooting water foul by 
• 53:51 – Moments in life that “began to save [his] life”; spent seven years at Rockland Community College; work with United Nations
• 59:55 – Current work with veterans and how it got started; Retreat at Omega Institute; telling stories from Vietnam after years of silence
• 1:16:29 – Taking son on marches against war in Iraq; relationship with son

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