Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps

Glued binding. Paper over boards. xv, [1], 395, [5] p. Illustrations. Glossary. Notes. Maps. Index. Intrigued by the mystique and challenge of the Marine Corps, eighteen-year-old Wesley Fox enlisted in the summer of 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War. He saw action with the First Marine Division in Korea and was wounded in 1951. After Korea, Fox advanced steadily in the enlisted ranks, reaching the rank of first sergeant, and, early in the Vietnam War, he received an appointment as second lieutenant. While serving as a rifle company commander with the Third Marine Division in 1969, he was twice wounded in a vicious battle during Operation Dewey Canyon. Early in this battle, every member of the company 's command staff was either wounded or killed. In an all-or-nothing effort led by First Lieutenant Fox, his company repulsed the attack of a much larger enemy force and then counterattacked with devastating results. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Fox received the Medal of Honor, which President Richard Nixon presented to him at the White House. Despite the personal sacrifice and frequent danger, Fox resolutely embraced the ethos of the Marine Corps, risking his life on numerous occasions and emerging as a leader in one of the most respected and feared fighting organizations in the world. Readers interested in U.S. military history from the second half of the twentieth century, in the Marine Corps, and in inspiring tales of personal achievement will find plenty of each in Fox 's extraordinary memoir. From Wikipedia: "Wesley Lee Fox (born September 30, 1931) is a retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps with 43 years of service. Fox received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. He is considered to be one of the legendary war heroes within the Marine Corps. Fox was born to John Wesley and Desola Lee (nee Crouch) Fox in Herndon, Virginia, the oldest of ten siblings. He attended Warren County High School in Front Royal, Virginia until 1948. He enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly before his 19th birthday, on August 4, 1950 during the Korean War. He completed recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris, Island, South Carolina. Serving as a rifleman with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, he was wounded in action in Korea on September 8, 1951 and sent to the U.S. Navy Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V". He recovered in 1952 and was sent back to Korea in 1954 as a Platoon Sergeant with Company G, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. When he returned home from Korea, he was assigned to duty as both a drill instructor from 1955 to 1957 and a recruiter from 1957 to 1960. He was promoted to First Sergeant in May 1966. Shortly afterwards, he was commissioned as a Marine Second Lieutenant. Fox served in the Vietnam War for 13 months as an adviser to the Vietnamese Marine Corps. In November 1968, he became company commander of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines until May 1969. During Operation Dewey Canyon in Quang Tri Province, he was wounded twice on February 22, 1969. He was wounded the first time in the shoulder when his company was attacked by a large enemy force. 1st Lieutenant (then) Fox then personally neutralized one enemy emplacement and directed his company to destroy others. After his company's executive officer was mortally wounded, he continued to direct the company's actions, ordering air strikes and coordinating the advance until the enemy retreated. Fox, the only officer left in his company capable of resistance, was wounded again in the final assault but refused medical attention while he reorganized his troops and prepared the wounded for evacuation. For his heroic actions that day he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971. He retired from the Marine Corps as a full colonel in September 1993 at the mandatory age.…