Col. Wesley L. Fox - Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps

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First Potomacs Paperback Classics edition 2008.

Copyright 2002 by Wesley L. Fox

Published in the United States by Potomac Books, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Fox, Wesley

Marine rifleman: forty-three years in the Corps/Wesley L. Fox.
1st ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-157488- 425-8

1. Fox, Wesley L. 2. United States Marine
CorpsOfficersBiography. 3. MarinesUnited StatesBiography. I. Title

VE25.F69 A3 2002

359.96092dc21 2002002649

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute Z39-48 Standard.

Potomac Books Inc.
22841 Quicksilver Drive
Dulles, Virgina 20166

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my wife and to my mother

They stayed home and worried for my life every single day while I was off doing my Marine thing, though most of those days were an enjoyable walk in the sun.

And to all the Marines who have lost their lives while serving their country.

Family background and adolescent daysRecruit experiences at Parris IslandAlligators, DIs, heat, and sand fleasMaltreatment, physical and verbal abuseRifle qualification

2nd Marine Division at Camp LejeuneEn route to the Korean WarCombat with a rifle companySquad personalitiesCorporal Davis, Squad LeaderAccidental dischargeWhisky raid on the Army

Difficulties due to promotionRear guard action following Chinese breakthrough on flankHilarious meeting with Chinese patrolListening post assignmentChinese night attack and breakthroughHall killed, enemy behind usGrenade malfunctionClosing the breakthroughAssignment in No-Mans LandBodies of 38th Regiments soldiers recoveredWounded in assault on enemy machine gunSquad Leader

Armed Services Policeman, Washington, DCGuard duty in postwar JapanRifle Company Platoon Sergeant in Korea1st Marine Division returns statesideDrill Instructor duty

Recruit hazing and maltreatmentShakeup of Marine Corps following death of recruits at Parris IslandNew way of making MarinesFlirt with HollywoodRecruiting duty

Recruiting quotas and quality recruitsDaily life and work of a recruiterPathfinder 1st Force Reconnaissance CompanyPOW, Escape, Evasion, and Survival trainingMarriageParachute and SCUBA trainingDeployment to OkinawaRiptide sweep seaward Brush with death in parachute landing

Sport parachuting and parachute malfunctionsParachute Demonstration TeamBrain concussion from parachute landing Competitive rifle and pistol shootingFirst childSeeking assignment to Vietnam lands duty in Paris, FranceSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropePromotion to 1st Sergeant Selection for temporary commission

2nd Force Reconnaissance CompanyPersonality conflict with company 1st SergeantSubmarine escape trunk trainingLocking out of and entering a submerged, underway submarineLoss of friend in parachuting accidentVietnamese advisor training at Fort Bragg

Advisor duty with Vietnamese Marine CorpsOvercoming Vietnamese counterparts objection to working with an American lieutenantVietnamese leaders use war as means of making money Personality conflict with only other American assignedEnemy Tet offensiveThree Marines take on an enemy battalionR&R with wife in HonoluluExtension of combat tour

Assignment as Company Commander, Company A, 1st Bn, 9th Marine RgtOpportunity to hone the fighting skills of Marines Company A locks on with an NVA battalionMiraculous performance of Marines despite loss of all platoon commanders Recommended for the Medal of Honor

Leaving VietnamStudent and InstructorNixon presents the Medal of HonorMarine Security Guard duty in Eastern and Western EuropeEmbassy Marines and Physical Fitness Test Operations Officer, 3rd Reconnaissance Bn on Okinawa Student, Western State College

Colorado outdoor sportsGraduated cum laudeReconnaissance Officer, Development CenterTesting and evaluating new equipmentMultiple parachute malfunctionsParachute offset delivery techniquesHang gliders

Battalion CommandPreparation for deploymentCombined Arms ExerciseTraining challengesProactive leadership optionsLong foot marches and zero disciplinary problems Battalion to the top of Mount FujiArmy War College Director of Staff, NCO Academy

Sea duty-Joint Plans OfficerOslo, NorwayOfficer Candidate SchoolKeep only those who will make good leaders Determining who can think and react properly under extreme stressA question on ones integrity is a ticket home

Maps

A mans memory is influenced by many things: impressions, experiences, mental and physical capabilities, desires, and aging. I find that I remember my earlier experiences with events, people, and names more readily and clearly than my later ones. Nevertheless, I have written my life story as a Marine the way I remember it. What you read is what Marines and I experienced at the time. Most were good events but some, if I had them to do over, would be done differently. Several names have been changed to avoid embarrassing anyone.

I have many people to thank for making this book possible. In 1964 a sergeant in Public Information commented that I should tell my Force Reconnaissance story. Since then many Marines have stated an interest in hearing more about my experiences, asking, When will you write your book? Finally, here it is.

I thank Col John Greenwood, editor of the Marine Corps Gazette, for publishing my early articles, one of which received the Marine Corps Associations Wilcox Award. Col Tom Taylors insistence that I had a story to tell was a motivating factor, and Col Edward Schwabe, USA (Ret.), at Virginia Tech helped me get focused with his first edit of my collection of words. Mrs. Rebecca Bier Stevens of Christians-burg, Virginia, was my English editor and proved most helpful in producing the final manuscript. Two young cadets, Robert A. Hannum and Tyson M. Murphy, prepared my maps. Col John Glasgow of the Marine Corps Association, Col John Ripley and Chuck Melson of the US Marine Corps History and Museums Division authorized the use of their maps. My thanks also go to Danny Crawford and his staff in the Historical Archives for providing me with Historical Diaries and Personnel Rosters.

This book would never have happened without the support and encouragement of my wife, Dotti Lu. My brother James, an author in his own right, was helpful throughout with ideas and grammar corrections. My story would have been in print ten years earlier if he had written it, as I requested. My daughters helped with the grammar, but they tended to get wrapped up in the story and read on to see what happened next, usually with teary eyes.