02/23/2026
On this day, 57 years ago, February 22, 1969, 37âyearâold Captain Wesley Lee Fox was leading Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, through the rugged, jungleâchoked A Shau Valley in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, when his unit was violently engaged by a large, concealed North Vietnamese force during Operation Dewey Canyon.
He was commanding the rifle company as they moved into a suspected infiltration corridor, fully aware that the valley concealed extensive enemy bunker complexes and mobile units that had already ambushed previous allied patrols.
As Foxâs command group and two platoons neared the forward slope of a heavily forested ridge, a storm of automaticâweapons fire, rocketâpropelled grenades, and grenades erupted from multiple concealed positions, hammering the Marines and driving them into the jungle undergrowth and shallow scrapes.
The first volley ripped through the command group, wounding almost every man except his executive officer, and moments later a blast struck Fox, sending shrapnel tearing into his shoulder and leaving him bleeding but still on his feet.
Despite the wound, he ordered his platoons forward, personally moving among the men, shouting directions, checking ammunition, and identifying the nearest hostile machineâgun and sniper emplacements that were pinning down the forward elements of his company.
He realized the company was facing at least one main bunker complex and multiple supporting positions that could easily overwhelm his Marines if they were not attacked aggressively and from unexpected directions.
Taking the initiative, he led the reserve platoon up the exposed flank of the ridge, exposing himself to the enemy fire so no Marine had to move forward without him, all while debris, smoke, and tracers filled the air around him.
Under heavy fire, he personally neutralized one enemy emplacement, closing the distance alone, hurling grenades, and then rushing the position with his rifle to destroy the crew and the weapon, but shrapnel from another round tore into his body again, reopening the earlier wound and adding new injuries.
He did not fall back, instead using the brief lull created by the destruction of that bunker to reorganize his men, redistribute ammunition, and coordinate the advance of the two forward platoons up the main axis of the slope.
He called in air and artillery support, worked the radio himself at times, and then moved through the hazardous fireâswept ground to position artillery and airstrikes exactly on the enemy complexes, ensuring the bombing and strafing runs hit the hostile positions instead of his Marines.
During the assault his executive officer was hit by a mortar shell and mortally wounded, leaving Fox as the only uninjured officer in his company still capable of directing the fight.
Refusing immediate medical evacuation, he continued to coordinate the movement of his platoons, ordering assaults, adjusting fire, and personally leading one final push against the main bunker complex, fixing the position with grenades and closeârange rifle fire while the Marines overwhelmed the defenders.
His repeated exposure to the enemy fire, his refusal to quit despite his own injuries, and his relentless leadership during the chaos transformed the fight from a nearâdisaster into a decisive victory, with the Marines destroying the large bunker complex, killing numerous enemy troops, and capturing weapons and supplies.
He supervised the preparation of the wounded for evacuation, established a defensive perimeter, and continued to issue orders until the area was secure, only then allowing corpsmen to treat his shoulder and other wounds.
For his actions on February 22, 1969, in the northern A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam, Captain Wesley L. Fox was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United Statesâ highest military decoration for valor.
Wesley L. Fox survived the fighting in the A Shau Valley and the injuries he sustained during the action, later retiring from the Marine Corps with the rank of Colonel after a 43âyear career that spanned the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
He died on November 24, 2017, at the age of 86, in Blacksburg, Virginia, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, where his Medal of Honor and long record of combat leadership and service to the Marine Corps are officially recognized.
