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Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps
Intrigued by the mystique and challenge of the Marine Corps, eighteen-year-old Wesley Fox enlisted in the summer of 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War. He saw action with the First Marine Division in Korea and was wounded in 1951. After Korea, Fox advanced steadily in the enlisted ranks, reaching the rank of first sergeant, and, early in the Vietnam War, he received an appointment as second lieutenant. While serving as a rifle company commander with the Third Marine Division in 1969, he was twice wounded in a vicious battle during Operation Dewey Canyon. Early in this battle, every member of the company’s command staff was either wounded or killed. In an all-or-nothing effort led by First Lieutenant Fox, his company repulsed the attack of a much larger enemy force and then counterattacked with devastating results. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,” Fox received the Medal of Honor, which President Richard Nixon presented to him at the White House. Despite the personal sacrifice and frequent danger, Fox resolutely embraced the ethos of the Marine Corps, risking his life on numerous occasions and emerging as a leader in one of the most respected and feared fighting organizations in the world. Readers interested in U.S. military history from the second half of the twentieth century, in the Marine Corps, and in inspiring tales of personal achievement will find plenty of each in Fox’s extraordinary memoir.
428 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
About the author
Wesley L. Fox
2 books2 followersWesley Lee Fox 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 his actions 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 Sergeant Major). He retired only upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62. Fox is regarded as a legendary hero within the Corps, and his story is known to many Marines.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 20, 2017
This book was on my bookreading to-do list for a long time before I finally read it. That was a shame on me, as it is a top-notch read. It's one of the best books on leadership, from one who won the Medal of Honor, I've ever read, and rightfully deserves its place on every Marine's required reading list.
As the author progressed in rank from a private at Parris Island to the officer ranks up to colonel, this book is divided in chapters according to his rank, from private to colonel. He is one of very few Marines to make this jump. At the end of each chapter he includes several insights gleaned from his experiences. These alone are almost worth the price of the book.
The author served all over the world during his forty-three years of active duty in the Corps, and served in combat in both Korea and Vietnam. He won his MOH for his leadership in combat as a 1st Lieutenant in Vietnam. I would have liked more detail on that battle.
As the author progressed in rank from a private at Parris Island to the officer ranks up to colonel, this book is divided in chapters according to his rank, from private to colonel. He is one of very few Marines to make this jump. At the end of each chapter he includes several insights gleaned from his experiences. These alone are almost worth the price of the book.
The author served all over the world during his forty-three years of active duty in the Corps, and served in combat in both Korea and Vietnam. He won his MOH for his leadership in combat as a 1st Lieutenant in Vietnam. I would have liked more detail on that battle.
February 18, 2018
A must read for all fans of the Marine Corps or of military leadership.
The story of a young Marine who enlists as a private to fight in Korea and rises through the ranks of the Marine Corps to retire a Col 43 years later wearing the nation's highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Warning, the book is clearly written by a Recon Marine and not a ghost writer. My only reason for not rating the book 5 stars is that it is very choppy at times.
But beyond that small knock, the stories, the view of life from young PFC in combat to Colonel of Marines is insightful and educational. A very interesting view into the Marine Corps from Korea through the post Viet Nam years.
The story of a young Marine who enlists as a private to fight in Korea and rises through the ranks of the Marine Corps to retire a Col 43 years later wearing the nation's highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Warning, the book is clearly written by a Recon Marine and not a ghost writer. My only reason for not rating the book 5 stars is that it is very choppy at times.
But beyond that small knock, the stories, the view of life from young PFC in combat to Colonel of Marines is insightful and educational. A very interesting view into the Marine Corps from Korea through the post Viet Nam years.
August 12, 2025
What a man!
Very interesting, well written and informative book about the United States Marine Corps in peace as well as within the framework and actions in Korea and Vietnam. Fox was certainly a warrior! I really enjoyed this book, and thank you for your service, Colonel of Marines, Fox!
Very interesting, well written and informative book about the United States Marine Corps in peace as well as within the framework and actions in Korea and Vietnam. Fox was certainly a warrior! I really enjoyed this book, and thank you for your service, Colonel of Marines, Fox!
December 31, 2019
Good view of the USMC in the last half of the 20th century. The author joined as a private, served as an infantryman in combat in Korea and Vietnam, won the MOH, and retired as a colonel. Impressive story.
September 19, 2020
We read this when I was at cadet at Virginia Tech and we had the honor and privilege throughout my cadet career to hear from Colonel Fox on a number of different occasions. His writing is honest and direct. The book is inspirational and awe inspiring.
October 26, 2012
Colonel Fox Epitomizes Everything a Marine Should Be …
Colonel Fox lives in my community and I had the luxury of getting a personally signed copy of MARINE RIFLEMAN several years ago. Years before his book, I had heard stories about Col. Fox from friends who were getting degrees at Virginia Tech via MECEP. The absolute respect (and awe) these future USMC officers had for Col. Fox is firmly etched in my memory … he was their Chesty Puller. What stuck with me was that their awe did not center on Col. Fox being a Medal of Honor recipient, but more on his character and how he epitomized every facet of what they believed to be the “perfect Marine”. MARINE RIFLEMAN reads like the man presents himself: honest and direct.
If readers are looking for an emotional, introspective and gory account of combat and heroics, MARINE RIFLEMAN will likely be unsatisfying … it’s simply not that kind of book. The book is more “matter-of-factly” written, much like the autobiography of the late Maj. Richard Winters (Band of Brothers). Fox simply writes a straight-forward account of how natural leader applied his skills throughout his military career … a career that included combat in Korea and Vietnam. The chapters represent his progressive rank as a career Marine (first chapter is titled “Private” and the last is titled “Colonel of Marines”) and detail his experience at each rank. While the Corps commands the majority of the attention throughout the book, Fox also details the growing family that seemed to provide both stability and balance throughout his progressively dangerous career. What most readers will discover is Fox’s unwavering sense of duty and his dedication to the Corps (think of a less animated/more serious R. Lee Irmey) and the lack of hubris. In fact, each chapter ends with Fox acknowledging the “lessons learned” from his experience at every rank. What I found most appealing was the lack of self-aggrandizement as it seems to be the trait that made its mark on my Marine friends … Fox is simply not a chest-thumper. The accounts of combat and being wounded read like normal and expected occurrences in his career … even the actions that earned him the Medal of Honor are downplayed into a simple action report.
MARINE RIFLEMAN is probably best described as a management book written by a Marine for Marines as I can see it being a useful leadership tool for future officers. As a civilian, I found the book to be a fascinating example of the type of leaders our military generates and it certainly explains why my friends were so impressed with a man whose Medal of Honor accolade seemed to be a predestined event in his life.
Colonel Fox lives in my community and I had the luxury of getting a personally signed copy of MARINE RIFLEMAN several years ago. Years before his book, I had heard stories about Col. Fox from friends who were getting degrees at Virginia Tech via MECEP. The absolute respect (and awe) these future USMC officers had for Col. Fox is firmly etched in my memory … he was their Chesty Puller. What stuck with me was that their awe did not center on Col. Fox being a Medal of Honor recipient, but more on his character and how he epitomized every facet of what they believed to be the “perfect Marine”. MARINE RIFLEMAN reads like the man presents himself: honest and direct.
If readers are looking for an emotional, introspective and gory account of combat and heroics, MARINE RIFLEMAN will likely be unsatisfying … it’s simply not that kind of book. The book is more “matter-of-factly” written, much like the autobiography of the late Maj. Richard Winters (Band of Brothers). Fox simply writes a straight-forward account of how natural leader applied his skills throughout his military career … a career that included combat in Korea and Vietnam. The chapters represent his progressive rank as a career Marine (first chapter is titled “Private” and the last is titled “Colonel of Marines”) and detail his experience at each rank. While the Corps commands the majority of the attention throughout the book, Fox also details the growing family that seemed to provide both stability and balance throughout his progressively dangerous career. What most readers will discover is Fox’s unwavering sense of duty and his dedication to the Corps (think of a less animated/more serious R. Lee Irmey) and the lack of hubris. In fact, each chapter ends with Fox acknowledging the “lessons learned” from his experience at every rank. What I found most appealing was the lack of self-aggrandizement as it seems to be the trait that made its mark on my Marine friends … Fox is simply not a chest-thumper. The accounts of combat and being wounded read like normal and expected occurrences in his career … even the actions that earned him the Medal of Honor are downplayed into a simple action report.
MARINE RIFLEMAN is probably best described as a management book written by a Marine for Marines as I can see it being a useful leadership tool for future officers. As a civilian, I found the book to be a fascinating example of the type of leaders our military generates and it certainly explains why my friends were so impressed with a man whose Medal of Honor accolade seemed to be a predestined event in his life.
February 12, 2015
Colonel Fox has written a brief autobiographical accounting of his 40+ years in the Marine Corps much as the format really more closely resembles a 'memoir' of his Marine Corps time. I know that I have led a pretty "plain vanilla" life, yet still, I would have a very difficult time condensing any 40-year segment into a mere 370 pages. We are really treated to only the highlights of the highlights. I suspect that the Colonel must have maintained a very detailed journal of his Marine Corps career, as his recall of people, events, and places is almost to be considered astounding. Sectioning his book off chronologically by his rank made the book very easy to follow.
As a near (officer) contemporary of Colonel Fox (I was but 2 years junior to him as we advanced through the officer grades from 2nd Lt to Lt Col), I easily identified with all of his circumstances and surroundings. Where I was not able to fully appreciate his view on some subjects was often due to the fact that he would bring a point of view forward that had apparently evolved from his prior enlisted time in the Marine Corps when I had no such experience in my background.
On two occasions, I shared common duty stations with Colonel Fox (on Okinawa and at Quantico) and interacted with many of the same people on a professional basis. So for me, there was a little bit of a trip down memory lane. As an officer who also served both on the staff at Officer Candidates School as well as an Officer Selection Officer, I agree fully with his assessment of selecting and preparing young men and women to serve as Officers of Marines in our Corps.
I had the honor and privilege to briefly meet Colonel Fox on two occasions while we overlapped at Quantico in the late '80s. He was attending events on both occasions as a distinguished guest because he held the Medal of Honor.
I would clearly recommend this book to any Officer of Marines and especially to those whose Marine Corps service included active duty time between 1950 and 1992.
As a near (officer) contemporary of Colonel Fox (I was but 2 years junior to him as we advanced through the officer grades from 2nd Lt to Lt Col), I easily identified with all of his circumstances and surroundings. Where I was not able to fully appreciate his view on some subjects was often due to the fact that he would bring a point of view forward that had apparently evolved from his prior enlisted time in the Marine Corps when I had no such experience in my background.
On two occasions, I shared common duty stations with Colonel Fox (on Okinawa and at Quantico) and interacted with many of the same people on a professional basis. So for me, there was a little bit of a trip down memory lane. As an officer who also served both on the staff at Officer Candidates School as well as an Officer Selection Officer, I agree fully with his assessment of selecting and preparing young men and women to serve as Officers of Marines in our Corps.
I had the honor and privilege to briefly meet Colonel Fox on two occasions while we overlapped at Quantico in the late '80s. He was attending events on both occasions as a distinguished guest because he held the Medal of Honor.
I would clearly recommend this book to any Officer of Marines and especially to those whose Marine Corps service included active duty time between 1950 and 1992.
August 1, 2008
Colonel Fox tells a great story, but I would have liked to hear more about his days in Vietnam and how he earned his Medal of Honor, and less about the earlier years.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews