Wesley Lee Fox passes
Bobo sends us the sad news that retired United States Maine Corps Colonel Wesley Lee Fox has passed at the age of 86. The Herndon, Virginia native served in the USMC for 43 years. He’s considered a legend among Marines.
Fox was a Mustang officer who began his service in the Korean War. He was wounded and sent to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Sergeant Fox returned to Korea as a platoon sergeant after his wounds allowed him to go back. After the war, he became a drill instructor and a recruiter eventually earning promotion to First Sergeant, then attended the Officer Candidate Course and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a First Lieutenant in Vietnam;
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Captain [then First Lieutenant] Wesley Lee Fox (MCSN: 0-96702), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 22 February 1969, while serving as Commanding Officer of Company A, First Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. Captain Fox’s company came under intense fire from a large well concealed enemy force. Captain Fox maneuvered to a position from which he could assess the situation and confer with his platoon leaders. As they departed to execute the plan he had devised, the enemy attacked and Captain Fox was wounded along with all of the other members of the command group, except the executive officer. Captain Fox continued to direct the activity of his company. Advancing through heavy enemy fire, he personally neutralized one enemy position and calmly ordered an assault against the hostile emplacements. He then moved through the hazardous area coordinating aircraft support with the activities of his men. When his executive officer was mortally wounded, Captain Fox reorganized the company and directed the fire of his men as they hurled grenades against the enemy and drove the hostile forces into retreat. Wounded again in the final assault, Captain Fox refused medical attention, established a defensive posture, and supervised the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his Marines to such aggressive action that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex. Captain Fox’s heroic actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Category: Blue Skies
RIP Colonel Fox.
One less CMH Recipient…one less hero…one less Marine.
Rest in peace, Sir.
Had the honor to meet him. An officer and a gentleman. He will be missed.
A real hero.
It’s men like this that make the posers seem even more aggravating and just plain stupid…
Fair winds and following seas, Marine.
Rest well, COL.
You earned.
Ooorah.
R.I.P Sir, you’ve earned your place in History and Valhalla.
I’ve seen no evidence, yet, for this assertion.
What are you talking about?
Are you saying that he’s not really dead?
That would be quite a scoop.
Is there confirmation that Col Fox is dead? I know people keep trying to bury Rudy Boesch and he’s not dead, yet.
http://www.marines.mil
“Yesterday, the Corps lost a legend.
Col. Wesley L. Fox, who earned the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War, passed away.
He served 43 years in the Corps and was a true Marine’s Marine.
Semper Fidelis, Col. Fox.”
I forgive Jack for doubting me.
Jack reminds me of the quote “Part of forgiveness is realizing the other person is a total idiot” and I think the latter part definitely applies to Jack.
Jack, here is COL Fox’s obituary:
http://www.mccoyfuneralhome.com/McCoy_Funeral_Home/Obituaries/Entries/2017/11/24_Col._Wesley_Lee_Fox.html
Virginia Tech also did an article on his passing. He will be buried at Arlington:
https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2017/11/corps-fox.html
Rest In Peace, Sir. A true Hero.
One of my heroes.
Col. Fox was the CO of OCS when I was there in 1990. The example he set for all of the candidates was exemplary to say the least. Later, I became pen pals with Col. Fox through an unlikely series of events. It happened to be when I went back on active duty to go to Iraq with a reserve battalion that was short of infantry officers and they were obviously scraping the bottom of the barrel when they called me. I got dinged up a little and it was enough to that I had to be medevac’d. The hardest part was having to leave my Marines there. I decided to cry to Col Fox about my misery. He told me to quit feeling sorry for myself. He then related what it was like for him to be medevac’d with his company stepping off into an attack with a SSgt in command because all of the officer’s and senior SNCO’s had either been killed or wounded. And then to be awarded a MOH for the same action made it that much harder for him.
RIP sir. Thank you for being one of my heroes.
A friend of mine did PLC juniors in that same time frame and had some great things to say about him as well. I was over at his house this weekend when he saw the news.
I got to meet Col Fox only once and briefly at that. I think it was the Camp Lejeune MCA bookstore and he signed my copy of Marine Rifleman. It certainly shows you something that a man that spent 27 years out of 43 on the officer side and rose to the rank of colonel would title his memoirs “Riflemen”.
Rest in Peace, sir.
Rest in peace Colonel Fox. You will be missed but never forgotten.
Rest in Peace, COL Fox. See you next time around.
I had the rare pleasure of meeting Colonel Fox at one of our MSG reunions. I believe we were in Biloxi, MS. A Marines Marine. Thank you for the honor sir. In Every Clime and Place.
What an incredible man. Rest easy, sir. Enjoy Valhalla. You’ve more than earned it.
Not often you see a colonel with five good conduct medals! To hear that he had made it to First Sergeant before going for a commission is frankly unbelievable. He had to have taken a pay cut, and did it all from a sense of duty and service. Amazing.
He probably got a raise, since O-1E pay scales with time in service, but that certainly doesn’t detract from his accomplishments and devotion in the slightest.
Another officer receiving the MOH for combat heroism in RVN is LTC Charles Q. Williams. He was also a former senior NCO before he went OCS, I believe he was a First Sergeant as well. He successfully defended a remote SF camp from being overrun by a very large NVA force and was wounded numerous times in the process. He was my Bn XO in the 2nd Bn/509th PIR.
RIP
Hey I hope all you frauds and posers and stolen valor act read this!! You are a total disgrace to this country and are sorry human beings to boot-I just really hate you so much and I know that is not very Christian,but you are all real scum bag asshole pos lowlife total jerks!!
Wow. 16 years on the e-tool side then got commissioned. Rest well Sir, you definitely earned it.
Rest in Peace, Sir.
Rest easy, sir.
Rest in peace, sir! Semper Fi!