Someone You Should Know

We don't do this often enough on this site. I have no excuse other than current events seem to take precedent.

This gentleman was in town visiting this weekend and a friend sent me a photo from this morning. I'm not sharing the photo, but I am sharing this Marine's dedication to country.

Colonel Wesley Fox USMC Ret

Col. Fox was born in Herndon, Virginia, the oldest of ten. He enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly before his 19th birthday, on August 4, 1950. Corporal Fox was wounded in action during the Korean War on September 8, 1951, but returned for a second tour of duty in Korea as a Platoon Sergeant.

After his Korean War service, Fox returned to the United States and served as both a drill instructor and recruiter. He was promoted to First Sergeant in May 1966, and soon after was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Assigned to Vietnam, First Lieutenant Fox's actions in Quang Tri Province during Operation Dewey Canyon on February 22, 1969 earned him the Medal of Honor. Having been wounded in action, along with almost every other member of his unit, Fox personally neutralized one enemy emplacement and directed his men to destroy others. After his executive officer was mortally wounded, Fox continued to direct the actions of his Marines, ordering air strikes and coordinating the advance until the enemy retreated. Fox was wounded again in the final assault, but refused medical attention while he reorganized his troops and prepared the wounded for evacuation. The medal was presented to then-Captain Fox by President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971.

Colonel Fox retired from the Marine Corps in September 1993. He continued to wear the uniform for eight more years as a deputy commandant of cadets for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. During his time at Virginia Tech, Fox spoke of his experiences to America's next generation of military officers, business executives, and civic leaders.

Fox has written a book about his experiences in the military, Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps (ISBN 1-57488-425-5), and was featured on the 2003 PBS program American Valor.