Ethel Stafford speaks of her father, Raymond Cox, World War II prisoner of war, on November 2, 2006 at Fairland West Elementary School in Proctorville, Ohio.

At a Veterans Day 2006 assembly, Raymond E. Cox received a posthumous honor: the Prisoner of War Medal, a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces.

Eloise Cox accepted the medal on behalf of her husband.

The event was covered by The Daily Independent of Ashland. The article “WW II vet receives posthumous honor” is available online. The article tells the story of Raymond Cox’s emprisonment and escape, and how he was sheltered for nine months at an Italian farm by the family of Primo Mecossi.

The Prisoner of War Medal was authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. You can find more information about the medal at the “Prisoner of War Medal” entry on Wikipedia.