Robb Cox oral history interview

"The Scope and Contents note of this oral history was originally generated by feeding the electronic transcript into OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4o on 2024 September 06. It was then reviewed and edited by a human.

In his interview for the Dartmouth Vietnam Project, Robert M. Cox Jr., Class of 1965, details his life experiences during the Vietnam War era. He recounts his initial education, involvement in sports and the Boy Scouts, and attendance at Dartmouth College where he participated in rowing, rugby, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. To avoid being drafted, Cox joined the Navy Reserve and later transitioned to the Air Force, aspiring to become a fighter pilot. He trained at Lackland Air Force Base and served at Yokota Air Base in Japan as an aircraft maintenance officer in a clandestine reconnaissance squadron. Reflecting on his time in Japan, Cox mentions his role as social chairman and how his military service redirected his career from architecture to retail and shopping center management. He concludes with mixed feelings about the Vietnam War, expressing disdain for certain political figures, and acknowledging the profound impact of his military service on his personal and professional life.