Gregory Cox and Carmichaels

Specialist Gregory A. Cox

When thinking of Carmichaels, one thing comes to mind. That thing is my cousin Gregory Cox. The main reason may be because he was killed in Iraq, but also because when thinking of Carmichaels, he is the first thing that comes to mind. It seems like he just fits everything about the little town. Greg was not the usual little kid. Actually he was anything but little. At 9 years of age he was already 5 and half feet tall and over 140 pounds. He grew up very close to the church. He was a very religious person who was one of the nicest people anyone could know. He was a very important person to many people of Carmichaels. Everyone knew who he was and everyone was very supportive of him. This little town was a perfect fit for him. The town was a caring, religious and proud town just like Greg. It is the fact that both Greg and Carmichaels are very caring, religious and proud, and this show how Greg and the town seem intertwined.

Greg was a very caring person who lived in a town that was just as caring, which made the two go hand in hand. Greg was a person who did everything for the benefit of others, and could care less for his own self. When he graduated from high school just before September 11 happened, he thought about going to college, but realized that if he went to college that it would be very hard for his parents to come up with enough money for his sister to go to school in a couple years. He did not think once about himself, but instead thought about helping his sister. Although college may have been the best thing to do, Greg decided that he would join the army. He knew that if he would fight for a couple years that the U.S. Army would pay for college. Unfortunately for him he joined just a month before the September 11 attacks happened, and was shipped out for Iraq about a year later. He was stationed over there for 2 years before he was killed. Greg risked his life just so his sister could have the chance of going to college. This shows how unselfish he was and how caring he was. His hometown of Carmichaels never forgot who he was. When he was laid out, there were more than a thousand people outside the family who came to see him. These people had such a great respect for him. Every year since 2004 the year that he was killed, there has been a fundraiser in Carmichaels for soldiers who were wounded in Iraq. They have raised a lot of money for wounded soldiers who have been brought home. Carmichaels is a small town but has proven to have a huge heart. That is why Gregory Cox and Carmichaels seem to be intertwined because both have such big hearts.

Greg was a very religious person who lived in a town that believed just as much as he did. Ever since Greg was a little boy, he would go to church every week. He also went to a catholic school for all of his schooling, which had some of an influence on going to church every week. At the earliest possible age, he became an altar server. This is how everyone began to know Greg. He would be the altar server every week till the end of high school. Everyone began to love the kid who they all knew was a very religious and kind-hearted person. The town consisted of mostly Roman Catholics, and most of the people went to church at least once a week. Religion was a big part in the town as well as in Greg’s life, but it was not till about 10 years ago that everyone had such a huge belief in religion. The main source of income in Carmichaels is in coal mining. It was 10 to 12 years ago that the coal miners in Carmichaels thought that the mine was running out. This would mean that a majority of the males in Carmichaels would be out of jobs. The people looked to the church as a way to help find comfort and a new way to earn money. Greg’s father worked in the mine at the time and needed a way to earn money just like everyone else. Greg thought of a way that he knew would help everyone. He proposed that there be a special mass every Wednesday to ask God for help. The people of Carmichaels backed up his idea and they started holding special masses every Wednesday. After about 2 months people were getting very worried and started to have doubts. They had no need to worry because the miners found a new source of coal and its still in work today. Both Greg and the community connected during these times, and it just shows how both Greg and the community are two things that go hand in hand.

SPC Gregory A. Cox and the town of Carmichaels both are two things to be proud about. Greg is a person that is looked up to by a lot of people and is the best role model that can be imagined. He has every quality that most people would love to have in a person. He was a smart, caring, nice, kind and a very loving person. He was known by everyone and they all knew the kind of person he is. There was not one person who would have said that he was a bad kid because the community and Greg were like one person. Carmichaels also had no reason to be anything but proud of itself. The town raised a lot of money to help wounded soldiers and still raises money for soldiers. Not many towns connect on the same level that Carmichaels does. Everyone gets along and everyone would help out each other in a time of need. Carmichaels is a town that anybody would be proud to live in. Both Greg and Carmichaels are two things to be very proud of. Greg will forever live in the hearts of many people just as will Carmichaels. Greg will be known as the kind, caring and loving kid who was unfortunately killed in Iraq. Many families will know Carmichaels as the town that helped their wounded soldier. These reasons would make a lot of people proud to either know Greg or live in Carmichaels. Both Greg and Carmichaels are things to be proud of and Greg is from Carmichaels, and is part of the reason why Carmichaels is to be proud, so it just makes sense that they are intertwined.

SPC Gregory A. Cox will be the man known to very few people as a soldier and a hero, but he will be known for his caring, love of religion and for his kindness by many more people. Carmichaels will be just another small town, but for some soldiers it will be the place that gave them a new beginning, but for many people it is home and a place for those people to be proud of. It just makes sense that Greg is from Carmichaels because the two just seem to be the same. It seems like Greg’s life and the history of Carmichaels go hand and hand because Greg’s life on earth seemed to be very much intertwined. There are a lot of places that intertwine with its residents, but Greg is the epitome of a place and a person intertwining.