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Author
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Topic: Dale W. Cox, Jr. Mercury Finalist (1920-2013)
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 08-03-2013 02:43 AM
   
Those of you who attended Spacefest IV in Tucson in 2012 will remember that one special guest was Dale W. Cox, Jr., one of the surviving 32 finalists for Group 1 (Mercury) selection. Dale was also the principal character in my book "Selecting the Mercury Seven: The Search for America's First Astronauts." I regret to advise that Dale - the oldest of the 32 candidates - passed away in his Palos Verdes, CA home on 25 June 2013, aged 92.Dale led a truly extraordinary life, and it was a wonderful experience and priviliege meeting him and putting together his story for the book. I know he absolutely loved attending what would be his first and only Spacefest event in 2012 along with his son, Brian. |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 08-03-2013 03:58 AM
He can now visit the stars he sought to explore. Godspeed Mr. Cox. |
MSS
Member Posts: 633
From: Poland
Registered: May 2003
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posted 08-03-2013 04:06 AM
Dale William Cox, Jr. was born on December 17, 1920 in Spokane, WA.RIP... |
jasonelam
Member Posts: 691
From: Monticello, KY USA
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 08-03-2013 04:40 AM
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GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2476
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 08-03-2013 05:27 AM
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 08-03-2013 08:41 AM
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randy
Member Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 08-03-2013 10:39 AM
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413 is in
Member Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 08-03-2013 11:12 AM
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sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 08-03-2013 12:03 PM
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mach3valkyrie
Member Posts: 719
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 08-03-2013 01:53 PM
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DChudwin
Member Posts: 1096
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 08-03-2013 05:20 PM
.(It was a pleasure to meet him and his son at Spacefest in 2012.) |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1751
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 08-03-2013 08:07 PM
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bwhite1976
Member Posts: 281
From: Belleville, IL
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 08-03-2013 09:53 PM
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Gilbert
Member Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 08-04-2013 09:02 AM
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dss65
Member Posts: 1156
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 08-04-2013 01:45 PM
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Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 08-04-2013 04:15 PM
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Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 675
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 08-05-2013 11:19 AM
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East-Frisian
Member Posts: 586
From: Germany
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 08-06-2013 06:53 AM
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history in miniature
Member Posts: 600
From: Slatington, PA
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 08-06-2013 09:43 AM
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Grounded!
Member Posts: 367
From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 08-06-2013 12:06 PM
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David Carey
Member Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 08-06-2013 02:26 PM
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Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 08-07-2013 04:48 AM
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astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 08-11-2013 09:51 AM
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 08-12-2013 06:02 PM
Dale Cox's son Brian has contacted me, saying he wanted to thank everyone associated with getting his father to Spacefest V (2012), which he said his father found to be "enjoyable but tiring." Brian also sent an obituary of his father. Dale William Cox Jr. '43Captain Dale W. Cox Jr., USN (Ret.), passed away on 25 June 2013 at his Palos Verdes, CA, home with his family at his side. Born on 17 December 1920 in Spokane, WA, he attended Beverly Hills High School and then the U.S. Naval Academy. In 1942, shortly after being crowned NCAA gymnastics champion, he graduated and was ordered to St. Louis (CL-49). After installation of radars, the ship departed for the Pacific, arriving in December 1942 to join the Battle of Guadalcanal. In 1943, St. Louis was torpedoed at Kolumbangara. Repaired at Mare Island, St. Louis returned to the Pacific supporting the 3rd Marine Division's landing on Bougainville Island. There, the ship was hit by Japanese dive bombers, killing 26. In March 1944, he was ordered to the new carrier, Shangri-La (CV-38). After shakedown, the carrier was in the Pacific in early 1945. On 25 April, Shangri-La's air group led an attack on islands south of Okinawa. In early June, Shangri-La and three other carriers made a three-day sustained attack on Tokyo. Two days after Hiroshima, he was transferred via high-line to a destroyer and was dumped on Iwo Jima. Captain Tyrone Powers, USMC, piloted the plane that took him and a USO troupe, including Maureen O'Hara, to Saipan. From there, he flew to flight training at Texas, receiving his Wings in December 1946. In 1949, he received orders to postgraduate school and graduated from Cal Tech in 1952. He was then ordered to a squadron at Barbers Point, HI. Deployed to Kadena AFB on Okinawa during the Korean War, he piloted a photo-recon plane for the CIA. Returning to Hawaii in 1954, he received orders to Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, MD. In 1957, he piloted a A3D to two Federation Aeronautique Internationale transcontinental speed records, LA-NY-LA and NY-LA. In 1959, he was one of 32 candidates for the Mercury astronaut program. In 1961, as naval test director at Mercury, NV, he was ordered to personally take possession of a nuclear weapon and "expand same" ("Johnnie Boy" event). He retired from the Navy in 1962 and went to work for the CIA. In 1970, he started his own company, Western Magnum. Retiring in 2009, he took up writing and finished three books. He is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Patricia; three sons, Brian, Dale III and Gary; daughter, Penelope; and six grandchildren. |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 08-13-2013 01:06 AM
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albatron
Member Posts: 2732
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 08-13-2013 08:58 PM
Thanks to Colin for working out his attendance at Spacefest. A true honor to meet him. — Al |
Mike Isbell
Member Posts: 551
From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 08-14-2013 03:00 PM
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