Wesley Lee Fox (born September 30, 1931) is a decorated United States Military veteran and retired Colonel in the Marine Corps. Fox earned the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor, for valor during the Vietnam War. In addition, as a 43-year veteran, he is uniquely distinguished by having held all but one enlisted and officer rank from private to colonel. (The exception is Master Gunnery Sergeant.) He retired only upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62. Fox is widely regarded as a legendary hero within the Corps, and his story is known to many Marines.

Fox was born to John Wesley and Desola Lee (nee Crouch) Fox in Herndon, Virginia, the oldest of ten siblings. He enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly before his 19th birthday, on 4 August 1950. Corporal Fox was wounded in action during the Korean War on 8 September 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 gallantry in Quang Tri province during Operation Dewey Canyon on 22 February 1968 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 2 March 1971.

Colonel Fox retired from the Marine Corps in September 1993. He continued to wear the uniform for eight more years as 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.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, Fox's numerous awards include the Legion of Merit (twice), a Bronze Star with a Combat "V", and three Purple Hearts.

As of the early 2000s, Fox lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with his wife, Dotti (formerly Dotti Lu Bossinger). They have three daughters.

External links

• U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums Division page on Colonel Fox
• Colonel Fox's personal page on HomeOfHeroes.com
• Colonel Fox's Medal of Honor citation