Cox, Morris “Mo”

A Company 1968 – 1969

In Vietnam most called me “Mo”, a shortened version of my first name. While on a brief standdown at Camp Eagle, a group of us watched a movie at the Seabee compound near our battalion area. In that movie the protagonist was named “Morris” and called “Mo”, so I was duly christened by our platoon medic.

As for memories of Vietnam, well admittedly, they sometimes run together into a blur. However, there are a few antidotes in which can connect both time and place. For example, I distinctly recall being in the Ashau Valley and walking through a very recently napalmed jungle area on the same day that Neil Armstrong made the very first moon walk. I recall thinking that on my 20th birthday, I was the squad gunner on the lead chopper assaulting an area at the confluence of two rivers. When the 20 foot-high elephant grass was ignited by supporting fire from Cobra gun ship rockets and fanned by Huey rotor wash, those of us already on the ground were lucky not to have been incinerated. Red smoke, the signal for a “hot LZ” had been observed on our approach, but I’m sure anyone shooting at us realized immediately that the conflagration was the bigger threat and broke off contact.

Anyone wishing to write Mo can send letters to;
Morris Cox
P58825
C3-211L
P.O. Box 2199
Blythe, CA 92226