MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Cody Carney, a Wilson, North Carolina, native serving in the United States Navy, remembers their mom, Joyce Ann Cox, in Washington, D.C., this Mother’s Day.
Carney remembers their mother for her love and support throughout his lifetime.
"You always believed in me," Carney said. "You saw a greatness in me that I couldn't always see in myself, even when my darkest moments tried to swallow me whole. You held on to who I was becoming long before I ever arrived there. I am forever indebted to your love, your strength and every sacrifice you made so I could stand where I stand today. Look at me now, Momma — I made it. I built a life, a home and a family, blessings that some people never get the chance to experience. Every bit of that carries your fingerprints. I am grateful for you in ways words will never fully capture. I appreciate you endlessly, and I love you beyond this lifetime. Rest in paradise, Mother. Your love lives on in me forever."
Carney serves as a cryptologic technician collection aboard USS Ross.
As Carney and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.
"I've always carried strength, courage and determination within me," Carney added. "That sense of greatness was there from the start. The Navy didn't just refine those qualities, it amplified them. It pushed me beyond the limits I thought I had and expanded the parts of me I believed were already fully grown. The Navy challenged me to rise, to evolve and to uncover potential I never even knew to look for. It revealed a deeper resilience, a sharper discipline and a new level of purpose that reshaped my entire outlook. I'm grateful for every opportunity the Navy has given me, and for the doors it continues to open on this journey. It didn't just change my path, it elevated my entire sense of who I am and what I'm capable of achieving."