Cold case: Who killed David Cox, Marine who inspired 'A Few Good Men'?

When Cox was in the Marines, he was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 1986, Cox was involved with 10 other Marines in a “Code Red” hazing of another Marine. The incident resulted in courts martial for some of the Marines. Cox fought his charges and prevailed; he was honorably discharged years later. But this was a traumatic experience for him.

If the Code Red incident sounds familiar, there’s a good reason. This was the case that inspired the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster, “A Few Good Men.” Today, that film is best remembered for actor Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of a U.S. Marine colonel who declares at trial “You can’t handle the truth!”

The film is based on a true story, but some key facts were changed. Among them, the fate of the victim.

In the film, the victim of the hazing dies. But in reality, the victim survived and Cox was among the Marines who saved his life.

Cox was not happy with the film and he publicly spoke about a possible lawsuit with other Marines.