I found this on another board and thought I'd share. I didn't know this guy but he was D/Fw local so I thought it was fitting.


From one of our readers...

A Tribute to a Fallen Soldier and Friend

My husband emailed this to me in respect for the loss of 1LT Tim Cox

For Tim

February 3, 2006

I woke up this bleak, gray, rainy, windy morning to discover that my friend, Tim Cox, had been killed in action the previous night. I found myself reflecting for a moment that maybe God was trying to wash away the filth and sin of that act, but then I realized no amount of rain could ever purge this place, in my mind.  Tim was an exceptionally good man, and a good officer.

I had only got to know him since I became the XO in September. I quickly learned how absolutely selfless Tim was: He was always, and I mean always, putting others before himself. We give a lot of lip service to selfless service, I think, but Tim embodied it. He was always trying to make his company and his Soldiers better. And he was always willing to help out his fellow XO’s, too.  At Camp Buehring, he walked my sorry butt all the way to range control just to show me, exactly, where it was when I proved too stupid to understand his directions. That may seem like a small thing, but I think it’s truly indicative of Tim’s character. Too often in the Army, we’ll just dump something on somebody else and let them figure it out. Tim wasn’t like that. He wanted you to know what you were doing, and was always willing to take the time to make sure you did.

It was on ADVON that I truly got to know him. What absolutely amazed me the most about him was the sincerity of his character. He truly loved the Army; and he loved his soldiers. He would do anything for them, for his company, for his commander and even for his fellow XO’s. If there was something you needed that you didn’t have, Tim seemed to take it personally and would see to it that you got what you needed. Many times we XO’s will get too shortsighted and look out only for our own company. Tim always kept the big perspective, and looked out for the whole team; across the Iron Knights. I have a lot of respect for the
kind of officer and kind of man he was. Tim never had any angles. He was absolutely sincere.

Tim knew how to have fun, too. There’s not one amongst those of us who were on ADVON who won’t forget his famous, “Mistah,” in a feigned Iraqi accent, which sounded all the more hilarious with his Texas drawl. He liked to drink beer, too, which instantly earned him massive credibility in my book. On Christmas, we all sat in the DFAC, drinking our near beer,
wishing it was the real thing. I know whenever I get back, my first Guinness will be for Tim, and I think SSG Maynard’s and CPT Frank’s might be, too. He was one hell of a good dude.

The hardest thing for me is when I think of Tim’s family. I remember waiting for the main body to arrive up here on a cold night, and Tim had gotten mail with pictures of his wife and kids he was showing us. I remember one in particular of him sitting on a lazy boy chair with his children on his lap and the look of real contentment that was on his face. I think it was Thanksgiving when the picture was taken.  That picture was the first thing that popped into my mind when I found out Tim was killed. Maybe it’s just because I’m a new father, but the thought of what his beloved family must be going through literally makes me nauseous. I cannot fathom that level of devastation. I pray that God is with them, and eases the burden.

The only relief I have gotten, personally, out of this event is knowing that Tim died doing what he does best. He was out there, leading soldiers, doing exactly what he wanted to be doing. He was honestly doing what he loved. He probably didn’t have to be out there; he was probably once more helping somebody out, trying to make someone else’s life a little easier. I hope his children know the honor and pride their Daddy served with. I hope this battalion recognizes the loss of a tactically and technically proficient officer. And I hope that the
soldiers and nco’s of Bayonet company will remain focused on their mission in spite of this great loss, as Tim would want.

Like everyone else who knew him, though, I will miss my friend.

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And an Associated Press story about 1LT Tim Cox:

Texas soldier remembered for family, faith

Associated Press, 02/05/2006

With the Super Bowl approaching, the family of First Lt. Simon Timothy Cox Jr. thought of their deployed football fan in Iraq.   "He was so excited about sports and his family," said Dorothy Duff, his mother-in-law who lives in Dallas. "He would get so involved and yell at them ... 'You're kidding me!'"
Cox, 30, died Thursday after a roadside bomb detonated near his tank in Taji, the Department of Defense announced Sunday.
The Mesquite High School graduate was in his second tour of duty when he died, becoming at least the 195th Texas casualty in Iraq since the war began in March 2003, according to the defense department.
Cox was shipped out for a 15-month tour in December. His next trip home was scheduled Feb. 25, when he would have celebrated the first birthday of his son, James. He and his wife, Jeni Duff, would have been married six years in May.
Cox, who also had a 3-year-old son, earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas at Arlington and wanted to be a high school teacher after his service. He also served as a youth minister at churches in Dallas and Mesquite.
"Our youth here are devastated because he really meant a lot to them and spent a lot of time with them," said Rev. Mark Mills, pastor at Eastridge Park Congregation Methodist Church in Mesquite. "He carried some of them through some tough times."
Cox was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in Fort Hood.

Rest in Peace, 1stLt Cox.