Winfield Daily Courier Online -- Escalating violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks associated with Taliban forces has claimed the lives of a number of American soldiers in recent days, including one of Parsons’ own, E-4 Daniel Cox.

Cox, 23, died Saturday in Afghanistan. He was headquartered out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and was serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan with the United States Army.

Born July 19, 1986, in Winfield, to Kim and Sharon Cox, he and his family moved to Parsons when he was in the fifth grade. He graduated from Parsons High School in 2005.

The news came as a shock to locals, as word spread of the young man’s death.

Standing by the football field, Parsons High School assistant football coach Mark Pound choked back his emotions Monday as he recalled the young man who exhibited qualities that made him not only a great football player, but a great soldier.

“He was just a good kid. He practiced football right out here,” Pound said, pointing to the field where he had helped coach Cox for all four years of his high school career.

One of the things that came to Pound’s mind Monday was when Cox served on the scout offense and defense teams, playing as the opposition for the varsity in preparation for an upcoming game.

“They would get knocked around a lot out there by the varsity pretty good. Not a lot of freshmen wanted to get out there, but Daniel was always first to volunteer,” Pound said. “He was always willing to do what he could to help the team get better. He never worried about his own stats or glory for himself; it was always about the team. I think that is one reason why he wanted to go in the Army. He felt he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself.”

Diana Brenn, who works at PHS and whose son was friends with Cox, said Monday that Cox had always wanted to go into the military.

“It is what he worked hard for,” she said. “He even had a special workout plan the coaches put together for him because he wanted to go to boot camp in shape.”

The young man, who played offensive/defensive lineman for PHS, joined the Army before he was even out of high school. Cox’s sights were set on entering the 10th Mountain Division, a mountain warfare infantry division based in Fort Drum, N.Y. Pound said Cox knew it would not be easy, but that was his goal, and it was a goal he reached.

“When he came back from training with the 10th Mountain Division, he said he knew he was going to Afghanistan, but he said he was ready to go. He was the type of kid that wanted to stand up for what he felt was right, like the thousands of others there,” Pound said.

The daily grind can obscure thoughts of what is going on day to day in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere U.S. soldiers are fighting the war on terror, but Brenn said the shocking news of the tragic incident brings the reality of the war home again.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” Brenn said. “I’m very proud of Daniel, and I know he was very honored and proud to serve our country. I know he was doing what he wanted to do and what he was proud to do.”

The tragedy has left many who knew this young man reeling.

“My heart goes out to his family,” Pound said. “I’m proud to have known him.”

Daniel L. Cox didn’t mind working hard to help others be better, whether he was with comrades at Fort Drum, N.Y., or playing the sport that stole his heart: football.

He started in the peewee league and worked his way up to the scout teams in practice at Parsons High School in Parsons, Kan.

“They would get knocked around a lot out there by the varsity pretty good,” assistant coach Mark Pound said. “Not a lot of freshmen wanted to get out there, but Daniel was always first to volunteer.”

The 23-year-old died Sept. 12 of injuries from an attack in Wardak province, Afghanistan, during his second tour of the country. He had joined the Army before graduating in 2005 and had special workouts to get in shape for boot camp.

Pound said Cox’s on-field attitude translated to his military work.

“He never worried about his own stats or glory for himself; it was always about the team,” Pound said, adding that Cox “wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself.”

In his downtime, Cox enjoyed four-wheeling, fishing, old trucks and cars and tinkering with things.

Cox’s parents are in the midst of handling arrangements for their son and will speak about the matter at a later date.

U.S. military officials could not be reached late Monday afternoon to detail the circumstances surrounding Cox’s death. However, attacks on U.S. forces have been reported throughout recent weeks. Significant casualties were reported Saturday, including two American soldiers, when a World Food Program convoy, escorted by Afghan military personnel, came under insurgent attack in the Bala Baluk district in Farah province.

The Associated Press reported the convoy, including 14 contracted trucks carrying 500 metric tons of food rations, was targeted by roadside bombs and mortar fire.

“A roadside bomb killed three American service members in the west of the country, and another killed two in the east,” a press officer for U.S. and NATO-led troops said in a report to Reuters.

Cox was not the only Kansas soldier to lose his life in the war this weekend. The Department of Defense announced Monday that 23-year-old Sgt. Tyler Juden of Arkansas City was killed Saturday when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire near Turan, Afghanistan. Juden joined the Army in 2005. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, N.C.