Loel Dene “L.D.” Cox, 88, of Comanche, Texas — one of the 317 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the most tragic disaster in U.S. Navy history — passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2015, in Early, Texas.
On January 29, 2015, members of TURNBOW-HIGGS American Legion Post 240—Fred Cross, John Rogers, Leroy Griffin, and Roger Easter—attended his funeral service. Wearing their Legion caps, they sat together near the front of the sanctuary. At the conclusion of the service, the Legionnaires stood, covered, approached the casket and rendered a final salute to their comrade.
Early Life and Military Service
Born April 12, 1926, in Sidney, Texas, to Ottie Scott and Olene (McCarty) Cox, L.D. graduated from Sidney High School in 1944, where he played six‑man football. Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy at Norman, Oklahoma.
During World War II, he served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA‑35) as a Seaman First Class. The Indianapolis, flagship of Vice Admiral Raymond Spruance, earned 10 battle stars during the war. In March 1945, the ship was heavily damaged by kamikaze attack during the Battle of Okinawa. L.D. later donated a piece of shrapnel from that attack to the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas.
After repairs at Mare Island, the Indianapolis was assigned a top‑secret mission: transporting components of the atomic bomb that later dropped on Hiroshima. After delivering the cargo to Tinian, the ship sailed to Guam and then toward Leyte Gulf.
Shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945, the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine. The ship sank in just 12 minutes. Of the 1,197 crew members aboard, approximately 400 went down with the ship. The remaining sailors endured five nights and four days in shark‑infested waters, suffering from exposure, dehydration, exhaustion, and relentless attacks. Only 317 survived. L.D. Cox was among them. He received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the ordeal.
Education, Career, and Community Leadership
After the war, L.D. attended John Tarleton Agricultural College, earning an associate in science degree in 1947. He then graduated from Texas A&M College in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education. He taught briefly in San Angelo before returning home to Comanche County.
In 1949, he married Sara Lou McCarroll, beginning a 65‑year marriage.
L.D. joined Moorman’s Manufacturing Company in 1952 and quickly rose to State Sales Manager for Texas and New Mexico, retiring at age 58. In 1966, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of Comanche National Bank, a position he held for nearly half a century. Alongside his business career, he maintained ranching operations and pursued various ventures across Texas. His wide circle of friends included ranchers, celebrities, and filmmakers, leading to a small role in the 1976 film Pony Express Rider.
He was active in numerous organizations, including the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the National Rifle Association, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Sidney, Texas.
Public Speaking and Legacy
In retirement, L.D. became a sought‑after public speaker, sharing his story of survival and promoting patriotism, civic duty, and military service. He traveled annually to Indianapolis for reunions of the USS Indianapolis Survivors Organization, honoring those who never returned from the sea.
His trademark philosophy— “It’s a great day! Better than yesterday, and not nearly as good as tomorrow will be.”—captured his enduring optimism.
Visitors to his ranch were often treated to his famous “Two‑Song Biscuits,” kneaded to the rhythm of two old cowboy tunes. In 2000, he joined three fellow survivors and the Discovery Channel on a month‑long deep‑sea expedition in search of the Indianapolis. Though the ship was not found, the resulting documentary became a recurring Veterans Day feature.
Family
L.D. is survived by his son Lowell Dean Cox II and wife Terry of San Gabriel, California; grandson Jeff Lin of Los Angeles; niece Suzanne Heptner and husband Jerry; nephew Scott Brehm and wife Minerba; and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his wife Sara Lou; parents Ottie Scott and Olene King Cox; stepmother Gussie Hansard Cox; and sisters LaVera Wood and Nellon Brehm.
