The death of Harry Cox

On May 4, 1990, Mike Svanevik wrote a story in the San Mateo Times titled, "The tale of four soldiers from San Mateo.” The story featured four black soldiers that graduated from San Mateo High School and lived in San Mateo. The soldiers named in the story were Capt. Harry Cox, Capt. Ralph Williams, Capt. Les Williams and Private Oswald Mack. Harry Cox was a member of the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II and served in the Italian campaign in the Gothic Line region, Lucca, in Tuscany. Harry was a member of the 3,000 man 370th Combat Team composed of all black soldiers called "buffalo soldiers.” I telephoned Mike Svanevik and asked if he would introduce me to Harry Cox so that I could ask Harry if he was stationed in the Lucca area while he was with the 92nd Infantry Division.

I was able to meet Harry and we talked about the Italian campaign and found out that he was stationed in Tuscany and was familiar with the region. After our first meeting we continued to meet occasionally and talk about his war experiences in Italy. Harry Cox was born on Aug. 15, 1921. When he was 5 his parents divorced and Harry and his mother moved to San Mateo. In 1929 his mother married Harry W. Cox, a Buffalo Soldier Captain in the U.S. Army who served in France during World War I. Harry attended San Mateo High School and acquired the nickname "Iron man” as a track star. He graduated from San Mateo Junior College and continued on to San Francisco State University. In 1941, after Pearl Harbor, he volunteered for the Army. In 1942 he was selected for the Officer Training School and was eventually commissioned as a Captain and commander of a mortar company in Italy. He and his men liberated many towns and villages in Italy.

I was born in Boston in 1930. My mother and father came from a village named Diecimo, near Lucca in the Serchio River region of Tuscany. In the summer of 1939 my parents decided to travel to Italy. Two weeks after we arrived my father had a serious heart attack and was confined to bed rest for about six months. During that time the war broke out and American citizens were told to leave Italy and return to the United States. We could not travel because of my father. Thus we remained in Italy for the duration of the war. In the summer of 1944, the German troops planned major battle in the Gothic Line area in which our village was located, and we had to hide out in the nearby mountains. In September we were liberated by the Allied troops, by soldiers from the 92nd Infantry Division, all black soldiers. My father, mother and I spoke English, so we became friendly with the soldiers. Often they came to our house in the evening and my mother prepared meals for them. I also acted as an interpreter and helped out in their camp, loading and unloading trucks, and often they gave me food to take home.

Prior to meeting Harry Cox, I had no idea to start writing about my experiences in Italy during the war. Harry encouraged me to write about the Buffalo Soldiers and how they fought in the Lucca region. My son Robert and my wife Jeanne encouraged me to write about other experiences I had during the Fascist period of 1939 to 1946. I titled my book "Trapped in Tuscany, Liberated by the Buffalo Soldiers.” The book was published in 1998 by the Dante University Press in Boston and edited by Adolph Caso.

Harry Cox was instrumental in encouraging me to write the book, and we became friends. After the book was published various groups and organizations invited Harry and me to give presentations about my book and talk about the Italian campaign. Harry talked about the Buffalo Soldiers and how the black soldiers were accepted by the Italian people. I talked about my experiences as an American boy living in wartime Italy.

Upon his return from Europe, Harry received training in the Ansel Adams School of Photography. He re-enlisted in the military during the Korean War and was assigned to train troops in machine gun fire and aerial photography. In 1952, he returned to the Bay Area and opened a photography studio in San Francisco. He later became a real estate broker and had many successful business ventures in real estate.

On Jan. 13, 1997, seven African-Americans, some of whom were Buffalo Soldiers, received the Congressional Medal of Honor. The medals were given to Vernon Baker, Edward A. Carter Jr., John R. Fox, Willy F. James Jr., Ruben Rivers, Charles L. Thomas and George Watson. Harry Cox was a friend of Vernon Baker, was present at the ceremony at the White House and met President Bill Clinton. Clinton said the following: "No African American who deserved the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II received it. Today we fill the gap in that picture and give a group of heroes who also love peace but adapted themselves to war; the tribute that has always been their due. Now and forever, the truth will be known that these African Americans who gave so much that the rest of us might be free. Today we recognize seven men as being the bravest of the brave. Each of them distinguished himself with extraordinary valor, in the famous words, at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty.”

Harry died on Oct. 19, 2008 at the age of 87. His sons Harry Cox Jr., Dr. Jeffrey Cox and his daughter Lori Grey and their families survive him.

Tullio Bertini is the

former mayor of Millbrae.