By YM/SgtMaj Lauren Loria Col. Wesley Fox (VA) April 17th was a cold and gloomy day in Ar- lington National Cemetery as the funeral proces- sion for Col.Wesley Fox, Medal of Honor Recipient, traveled along the long and windy road. Colonel Wesley Lee Fox was born on September 30, 1931, in Herndon, VA. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on August 4, 1950, just before his 19th birthday. He was wounded in action in Korea on September 8, 1951. For his service in Korea he was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat “V”. While serving in Vietnam in February, 1969, he was wounded twice but he refused medical treat- ment for his injuries in order to direct and defend his men, and prepare the wounded for evacuation. For his heroic actions that day, Fox was awarded the Medal of Honor, presented by President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971. A short excerpt from the Medal of Honor citation reads: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commanding Officer of Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. 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”. It was for these heroic actions that the Col. Wesley Fox Young Marines dedicated our unit in his honor. The unit had been inactive until its revival in 2012 in Sterling, VA. Along with Young Marines from my unit, I attended the funeral to pay our respects. As long as we carry his name, his memory will live on. Semper Fi to a great Marine and an amazing leader. Our Unit Pays Its Respects to Its Namesake, Col. Wesley Fox By YM/SgtMaj Anna Saucedo Temecula Valley (CA) I recently had the distinct honor of attending a Marine Corps League meeting of the nearby detachment that supports my unit. Upon the conclusion of the meeting, I also had the opportunity to socialize with the members, most were retired service members. To my surprise, one of the members was an Iwo Jima Veteran! Iwo Jima took place between February and March of 1945, and was the bloodiest battle fought in WWII with more than 26,000 American casualties. You are more than likely very familiar with the iconic flag raising photo, if not, take a look at the patch on your left shoulder. That afternoon I met and spoke with Charles H. Cram. He was not a Marine, in fact he was in the Navy, but served alongside Marines because he was a Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class. He told me a lot of informa- tion about his time in the service, but what stood out to me was his attention to detail. He vividly re- called what he had for breakfast before landing on the is- land: steak and eggs! He also remem- bered that after be- ing on line for four whole days, he did not get any food and staying awake was a struggle. The fourth day also came with unbearable smells, being sur- rounded by thick clouds of sulfur, and poor visibility as a result. I was even more amazed when Mr. Cram went on to tell me that he used flamethrowers and fired bazookas! By far, my favorite part of speaking with him though was when he told me that he “heard cheer- ing, looked up, and saw the [American] flag raised atop Mount Suribachi”. The Battle of Iwo Jima is without a doubt one of the most widely recognized battles Marines have fought, and sadly, the number of those who participated and are still with us today continues to shrink.Regardless of when or where they served,the voices of the men and women of our military must be heard. As Young Marines, we need to be there to listen before it is too late: they just might have an amazing story or two to share. An Encounter with a Veteran of The Battle of Iwo Jima Listening to stories of Iwo Jima. 22 Young Marines Esprit ONLINE