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John Fox
FULL
MEDAL OF HONOR
CITATION
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Place: In the vicinity of
Sommocolonia, Italy
Date: Dec. 26, 1944.
Rank and organization:
1Lt, Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division,
US Army. |
The
President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March
3, 1863, has awarded in the name of The Congress the Medal of Honor to
1st Lieutenant
Robert Murray Hanson
UNITED STATES ARMY
*FOX, JOHN R.
Citation: For extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy in the vicinity
of Sommocolonia, Italy on 26 December 1944, while serving as a member of Cannon
Company, 366th Infantry Regiment, 92d Infantry Division. During the preceding
few weeks, Lieutenant Fox served with the 598th Field Artillery Battalion as a
forward observer. On Christmas night, enemy soldiers gradually infiltrated the
town of Sommocolonia in civilian clothes, and by early morning the town was
largely in hostile hands. Commencing with a heavy barrage of enemy artillery at
0400 hours on 26 December 1944, an organized attack by uniformed German units
began. Being greatly outnumbered, most of the United States Infantry forces were
forced to withdraw from the town, but Lieutenant Fox and some other members of
his observer party voluntarily remained on the second floor of a house to direct
defensive artillery fire. At 0800 hours, Lieutenant Fox reported that the
Germans were in the streets and attacking in strength. He then called for
defensive artillery fire to slow the enemy advance. As the Germans continued to
press the attack towards the area that Lieutenant Fox occupied, he adjusted the
artillery fire closer to his position. Finally he was warned that the next
adjustment would bring the deadly artillery right on top of his position. After
acknowledging the danger, Lieutenant Fox insisted that the last adjustment be
fired as this was the only way to defeat the attacking soldiers. Later, when a
counterattack retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was
found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers. Lieutenant Fox's
gallant and courageous actions, at the supreme sacrifice of his own life,
contributed greatly to delaying the enemy advance until other infantry and
artillery units could reorganize to repel the attack. His extraordinary valorous
actions were in keeping with the most cherished traditions of military service,
and reflect the utmost credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.
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