John R. Fox

John R. Fox
1st Lieutenant
598th Field Artillery Battalion, 366th Infantry, 92nd Infantry Division
May 18, 1915 – December 26, 1944

On Dec. 26, 1944, enemy troops closed in on 1st Lt. John Fox, situated on the second floor of a house in the Italian village of Sommocolonia. Surrounded and with little hope of rescue, Fox radioed for an artillery bombardment of his position. Fox bravely sacrificed his life as he called in the order, “Fire it! There’s more of them than there are of us. Give them hell!”

The oldest of three siblings, John Robert Fox, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 18, 1915. Like the experiences of several African Americans throughout the United States, Fox navigated a world of prejudice and segregation. After high school, he attended Ohio State University but later transferred to Wilberforce University, a Historically Black College and University, to join their Reserve Officer Training Corps program. In 1941, he graduated with a degree in engineering and was commissioned into the U.S. Army.

2nd Lt. Fox’s first assignment was with the 366th Infantry Regiment, a segregated African American unit stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. In 1942, Fox married Arlene Marrow. Later that year, Fox and Arlene welcomed their only child, Sandra Marie. By 1944, the all-Black 366th Infantry Regiment was deployed to Italy. The 366th was eventually attached to the 92nd Infantry Division, a segregated African American division, initially formed in 1917 for service in World War I and deactivated during the post-war drawdown. After nearly two decades, the 92nd was reactivated during World War II on Oct. 15, 1942.

The 92nd deployed to Italy in 1944, and by December of that same year, they had reached the Serchio River Valley near Sommocolonia. 1st Lt. Fox, a forward observer for the 598th Artillery Battalion, 366th Infantry Regiment, positioned himself in a tower to direct artillery fire against the enemy. During Christmas night, enemy troops dressed in civilian clothes secretly entered the town. By morning, the German advance overran Sommocolonia.

1st Lt. Fox and his observer party remained in Sommocolonia to coordinate defensive fire and protect the retreating troops. Fox reported at 8 a.m. that the Germans were attacking in strength. Though the Germans continued to advance, Fox stayed in position, radioing artillery strikes as German troops gradually approached. Fox called for artillery fire increasingly close to his position as the Germans edged closer. He radioed his battalion commander, “That was just where I wanted it. Bring it in 60 yards!” His commander relayed that the artillery fire would be too close to their position. Despite the danger to himself, Fox repeated his call for fire. The last communication from Fox was, “Fire It! There’s more of them than there are of us. Give them hell!” Fox and his observation party were killed by friendly fire from the bombardment. Close to 100 Germans were also killed. Fox’s sacrifice delayed the enemy offensive, allowing the retreating Soldiers to re-group. American forces recaptured Sommocolonia a few days later.

Buried in Whitman, Massachusetts, the Army did not initially recognize Fox’s heroism. Indeed, no African American Soldiers received the Medal of Honor during World War II. As racial attitudes shifted in the decades following World War II, African American Soldiers began to receive their long-overdue recognition. On April 15, 1982, Fox was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In the late 1980s, the Department of Defense initiated a review of Distinguished Service Cross awards to investigate if any Soldiers had been denied the Medal of Honor due to prejudice. On Jan. 13, 1997, the Distinguished Service Cross awards of seven World War II Black veterans, including Fox’s award, were upgraded. These men were the first Black Soldiers to earn a Medal of Honor from World War II. President Bill Clinton posthumously awarded Fox’s Medal of Honor to his widow, Arlene Fox. Though he faced racial discrimination at home and in the Army, Fox’s gallantry and bravery in service to his country never wavered. Fox’s actions at Sommocolonia saved his fellow Soldiers’ lives and proved his valor in war.

Anthony Eley
Education Specialist

Felix Camacho
Graduate Historic Research Intern

Sources

Ackerman, Cory. (2021, February 19). “I Did Not Send for You” – John Fox and the Medal of Honor.” National Medal of Honor Museum. February 19, 2021. Accessed on April 23, 2024. https://mohmuseum.org/john-fox-and-the-medal-of-honor/

Center of Military History. “92d Infantry Division.” Combat Chronicles of U.S. Army Divisions in World War II. n.d. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/092id.htm

Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “John R. Fox.” Stories of Sacrifice. n.d. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/john-r-fox.

Flowers, Karen. “Field artillery Soldier became a World War II hero.” Army.mil. January 28, 2021. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.army.mil/article/242816/field_artillery_soldier_became_a_world_war_ii_hero

Gibran, Daniel K. The 92nd Infantry Division and the Italian Campaign in World War II. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2001.

Graff, Cory. “Lieutenant John Fox’s Medal of Honor,” The National WWII Museum. February 15, 2022, Accessed May 9, 2024. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/john-fox-medal-of-honor.

Hanna, Charles W. African American Recipients of the Medal of Honor: A Biographical Dictionary, Civil War through Vietnam War. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland and Company, 2002.

Ohio. Hamilton County. 1940 U.S. Census. Database with images. Ancestry.com. Downloaded March 9, 2024. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/30236062:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=87e8702b-537a-4463-9c19-046656817c0f&_phsrc=vFP1&_phstart=successSource.

Hodges, Robert Jr. “How the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ Helped Break Through the Gothic Line.” Historynet. February 1999. Reprinted from World War II. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.historynet.com/how-the-buffalo-soldiers-helped-turn-the-tide-in-italy-during-world-war-ii.htm.

McRae, Bennie Jr. “First Lieutenant John R. Fox.” Lest We Forget: African American Military History by Historian, Author, and Veteran Bennie McRae Jr. Hampton University. n.d. Accessed January 27, 2021. http://lestweforget.hamptonu.edu/page.cfm?uuid=9FEC4F39-E3E3-0EBB-184278DDC10FAB44.

Military Times. “John Robert Fox.” The Hall of Valor Project. n.d. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/2001.

Thomas, David M. “One Lieutenant’s Ultimate Gift to America.” Washington Post. December 25, 2017. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/one-lieutenants-ultimate-gift-to-america/2017/12/25/55c1fff0-e69b-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html.

Additional Resources

Classroom Resources:

Brookter, Raymond. “Activity: Duty and Dignity: Black Americans and the 92nd Infantry Division Buffalo Soldiers.” National History Day. https://www.nhd.org/sites/default/files/Duty%20and%20Dignity%20-%20Lesson%20Plan.pdf.

National World War II Museum. “Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII.” https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/FFRTF-MiddleSchoolClassroomGuide.pdf.

Articles and Publications:

Huxen, Kieth. “John Fox.” National World War II Museum. February 7, 2020. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/john-fox.

Videos:

U.S Army, “African Americans in World War II: Legacy of Patriotism and Valor.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGpP3mj6FrU