cpl cox by eric j cox

www.EricCox.com

www.EricCox.com

The journal I carried through Iraq…

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…is now the cover of my new memoir, CPL COX

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Here is my story in pictures although many were “exposed.” Oddly, the exposures were all from An Nasiriyah.

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www.EricCox.com

Chapter One

“DON’T TELL THEM I’M A MARINE! I MEAN IT, MOM!” I remember shouting at her as we waited for a table at an oceanfront restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, NC. It was June 4th, 2003—less than 24 hours after my return home.

Nearly five years later in silence and solitude, I stood in front of the mirror at the position of attention in my Marine Corps Dress Blues. I had just finished mounting my medals and ribbons on my chest. I thought back to that day in 2003.

“What was I thinking? Mom couldn’t have been more proud of her son, a U. S. Marine, who had just returned home from war. Yet I yelled at her in front of our family? What was I feeling to make me act so out of character?”

A few weeks ago, I was trying to decide what to wear to our 2007 company Christmas party. I work for myself in a very professional yet fun real estate office with great people, and I wanted to dress up for the occasion.

“I know, I’ll wear my Dress Blues,” I thought to myself. It had been over five years since I had worn them. Excited, I called my girlfriend to tell her my idea.

“Don’t do that, Eric! People will laugh at you,” she replied.“Are you kidding me?” I asked. “The Marine Corps Dress Blues are one of the sharpest and most respected

uniforms in the world!”“I know that, but everyone knows how you feel about the Marines. They’ll think you’re mocking the

company!” she answered.“Ouch.”

I guess I hadn’t had the fondest memories of the Marine Corps, but honestly I couldn’t tell you why. I actually have quite a story and should be proud to tell it. But who would want to listen?

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Random Quotes from Cpl Cox:

“I wasn’t proud of what I had done, seen or gone through as a Marine, but I wasn’t ashamed, either. So why had I refused to tell the story? I honestly didn’t know. I wondered … by reading my own words, would I be able to understand my own answer? I opened the log book.”

“…there were notes from a Rules of Engagement class that included, ‘General Guidance: Don’t shoot anyone who doesn’t need to be shot.’”

“Tomorrow is the day I have dreaded for well over a year now. Abby and I knew it would eventually come, but had tried our best to put it out of our minds so we could enjoy the time we had together. Now, it was different. It was for real. We made love, but the unknown made sex and conversation seem distant. We only wanted to hold each other close—closer than ever before. We didn’t want to fall asleep; we knew the next thing we heard was going to be the alarm signaling our physical separation and my departure. At this point, it was only a matter of hours.”

“I didn’t know where I was going and I didn’t know if I was coming home. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to write home or receive mail because it might jeopardize our security by giving away our position. I didn’t know if Mom was going to be able to make it in health or if she was going to lose it mentally. I didn’t know if Abby was going to be able to handle having a boyfriend that she couldn’t talk to or even know if I was alive. I asked myself if I would wait if the roles were reversed, but I couldn’t fully convince myself I believed my answer.”

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Random Quotes from Cpl Cox:

“If I’m going to die tonight, then I’d better hurry up and go to sleep… I’m a heavy sleeper, so I won’t wake up for my death.”

“If the Iraqi military would just understand that we will not harm them if they do not resist us, this would all be so simple. We would treat them better than they are treated here, and provide medical treatment and food. But they insist on fighting a force they cannot compare to.”

“But I was growing tired of waving. I didn’t want to smile any more. I’d seen enough of these people, and I want to go home and see my people. I’ll be thrilled to smile and wave at people when I get home, but I’m finished here.”

“The storm clouds are rolling in, but they’re a nasty reddish-orange color. Looking at them made me think of a bleeding country as the dirty water spilled down upon us.”

“What the hell are we doing here?” I wondered. “I want to go home! If the war is over… let’s go home!”

“I had to stop thinking of home. The more I thought about it, the crazier it made me. This meant I had to stop writing in my journal. It meant I had to stop writing letters home. This was a time for me to read my book and play the character of someone else in someone else’s book.”

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About The Author

Photo by: Alexandria Bright

Eric J Cox

Born in Greensboro, NC, raised in Asheboro, NC, Eric made Charlotte, NC, his home in 2004 where he began working as a bartender. He purchased his first home in 2005 and began purchasing other properties as investments. In 2006 he achieved his NC real estate license and became a Realtor®. Eric excelled as a commercial and residential investment specialist and was nominated for the Rookie of the Year Award as a multi-million dollar top producer following his inaugural year. Today he is the Broker – Owner of The CHARLOTTE Real Estate Firm

Most recently, he has completed this book as his first and begun work on his next book. He has opened his own micro-press publishing company, The Charlotte Press, where he hopes to help other writers and authors publish and market quality books. Eric is also founding a non-profit organization to benefit veterans. A portion of the proceeds from this book’s sale, among other donations, will go to benefit his charity.

Eric is a single father residing in Charlotte with his daughter Savannah, his dogDiezel, and his two cats Heidi and Chloe.

Your feedback and/ or comments are greatly appreciated at [email protected]

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For Immediate Release

U.S. Marine Corps Combat Veteran Publishes Personal Memoir: Cpl Cox

Charlotte, NC September 23, 2009 – On June 3rd, 2003, Cpl Cox and most of his unit returned home to their loved ones following the initial invasion of Iraq, also known as Operation: Iraqi Freedom. Years later, Eric J Cox has rewritten his once forgotten war journal into his new memoir, Cpl Cox. Written in part to help Cox cope with his own issues, Cox hopes to provide others with a certain degree of insight and understanding into the complicated and extreme physical emotional and psychological pressures that sometimes accompany life in the military.

Cpl Cox begins in present day 2007 with a flashback of an outburst against his Mother less than 24 hours after his return home to indicate his denial of association with the Marine Corps. Searching for his own answers, he retells the actual events that took place between February 6th and June 3rd, 2003, as to why he suddenly questions his own thoughts, feelings and actions.

Through his honest and personal writing to his journal, Cox does and excellent job of delivering an informative, personal, thought-provoking, and sometimes poignant look into his wartime experience. But even more remarkable is the insight it provides regarding the inner struggles Cpl Cox had to face as a member of the United States military -- faced similarly, yet in their own individual ways by American servicemen and servicewomen all over the world.

Personally dedicating the book to his parents, the troops and their families, Cox hopes to help others through his writing. “Cpl Cox raises many unanswered questions -- intended to provoke thought to form predictions, or to help the reader relate to their own story or the story of someone they may know, to mine,” says author Eric J Cox. “Cpl Cox is my answer to the question ‘What was it like?’ although the main idea of my writing was to convey the message: War Changes Lives.”

Cpl Cox is available for purchase through www.Amazon.com, www.EricCox.com and coming soon to the other national booksellers. A portion of the proceeds generated from book sales through www.EricCox.com will be donated to charities benefiting veterans. Cpl Cox may also be available in bulk for educational, business, or sales promotional use by contacting The Charlotte Press.

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