| John
E. Fox |
| NO.
17495 • 6 Jun 1928 – 17 Jun 2002 |
Died
in Trenton, NJ
Interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY |
John Edmond Fox was born at Ft. Sam Houston, TX, the son of 1 LT
John Henry and Evelyn Wood Fox. The family traveled to many places
throughout John Henry's career, but Panama, with its green jungles
and blue waters, was John Edmond's favorite and the birth- place
of younger brother, David.
When LT Fox retired in 1937, the family settled on a farm north
of San Antonio. The boys often had to devise their own entertainment.
For John, that meant catching rattlesnakes for the zoo and reading
the entire Book of Knowledge. Not only did he enjoy the reading,
but he also gained a liberal education that served him all his life.
With his friend, John Igo, he co-authored a play produced for the
Texas PTA Convention in 1941.
John graduated from Jefferson High School and attended Texas-A&M
University for one year. At 17 years of age, he enlisted in the
Navy before the end of WW II. He was serving on the cruiser USSChicago
anchored at Shanghai, when he received word of his appointment to
West Point. John reported to the Academy in Navy uniform.
His classmates often heard him singing, "I joined the Navy
to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea. Oh, the Atlantic
isn't romantic and the Pacific isn't terrific, and the Navy ain't
no place for me!"
John had a wonderful sense of humor and liked to tell jokes, but
never at the expense of others. One time, during a large combined
class session, the instructor asked a question and then called on
"Mr. Fox" to answer. John stood, and asked, "Do you
want E. J. Fox. " (The other Fox in the class.) The instructor
said, "Yes." So E.J. Fox had to respond. A few days later,
the same thing happened, but this time E. J. Fox stood up and asked,
"Do you want J. E. Fox?" "You will do," the
instructor replied.
Academics were no challenge to John. One classmate recalled that
John took frequent catnaps during the evening study time. He jokingly
accused him of "sleeping his way through West Point."
John just grinned. He was well liked by his classmates. He was active
in intramural sports, ran on the cross-country team, was a member
of the Glee Club, the Chapel Choir, and served on the Howitzer and
Pointer staffs. On a trip with the Glee Club to New York City during
his First Class year, roommate Bob Groseclose introduced him to
a friend. John was quickly swept up in a whirlwind romance with
Jane O'Connor, the pretty daughter of an Air Force officer. They
married shortly after graduation.
John had orders for Japan but in August 1950, with some other 11
classmates, he flew to Tokyo, Japan, via Seattle and Adak, AK, then
by ship to Pusan. He was assigned as a platoon leader in Company
F, 38th "Rock of the Marne" Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry
Division.
In Korea, John was wounded twice, and earned two Silver Stars and
a Bronze Star for valor. He rotated home in May 1951. Arriving in
Sasebo, Japan, he met Uzal Ent, one of his roommates at the Academy.
Ent, too, was rotating home. Somewhere, John located a guitar. He
and Ent, by way of reunion, visited a nearby "watering hole"
and entertained themselves (and maybe the other patrons) by singing
to John's accompaniment on his guitar.
John's most significant assignment was at West Point (1957-61) teaching
map reading, astronomy, and geography in the Department of Earth,
Space and Graphic Sciences (ES&GS). He wrote articles about
stars and telescopes that were published in Popular Science and
Popular Mechanics. By that time, the family had Barbara (1952),
Susan (1953), John "Jeff" (1955), Stephen (1957), and
Cathy (1958). John, with humor and affection, referred to their
children as "varmints. "
John then went to Panama and the 20th Infantry (1961-62) and Headquarters,
Army in the Caribbean (1962-64), After a year at Columbia University
(1964-65), he returned to ES&GS, earning his master's in 1966
and a Ph.D. in 1969. He completed the correspondence version of
CGSC in four months in 1969.
In Viet Nam, John served as G-2 for XXIV Corps (1969-70), earning
a Bronze Star and two Air Medals. While at Ft. Dix, NJ, in '71,
he decided to retire because his hearing loss, due to a hand grenade
in Korea, was worsening. He then was awarded the Legion of Merit.
John became a professor of geography and department chairman at
Trenton State College in New Jersey, retiring after 25 years as
professor emeritus.
John was a mentor to students and fellow teachers. He made them
laugh, he made them think, encouraged them, challenged them, and
made them better for having known him. In 1988, he was Teacher of
the Year. He was a member of the Princeton Officers Society, Ewing
Township Patriotic Committee, and Ewing Historical Commission.
After son Stephen died in 1996, John retired from teaching to his
study filled with computers, files, references, photos, and cookies,
to work on a book that he left unfinished. That project will be
completed as his legacy.
All twelve grandchildren loved grandpa's office, where they always
received a warm reception from him and were allowed to play computer
games. In July 2000, Jane and John celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary.
In May 2002, while cruising Russia's rivers and lakes, John suffered
a head injury. It took two weeks to get him to Walter Reed Army
via Finland and Germany, but there was no hope of recovery. Ewing
Township honored John with their first memorial service in Veterans
Park.
John Edmond Fox was a well-rounded person - brilliant, creative,
and fun loving-who effortlessly pursued his careers with light-hearted
determination. He loved his family, his work, his hobbies, and his
friends, and he was greatly loved in return.
John's mortal body has left us, but his indomitable spirit will
be with us always.
- The family with classmates Howard B. Blanchard;Jr:, Joseph P.
Buccolo, and Uzal W. Ent
|
USMA 1950