Jack E Foley

Youth

Foley was born in 1922 to Randall A., and Viola (née Meahl) Foley. He grew up in Brookline with his two brothers. Foley graduated from the now-defunct South Hills High School in 1940, then enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, where during the 1942-43 season he earned a varsity letter as a manager for the university's basketball team. While at Pittsburgh in his third year, he along with almost twenty other members of his ROTC class were commissioned into military service on June 29, 1943.

Military service

In November 1943, Foley served in the Coast Artillery Corps with the rank of First Lieutenant, while defending a part of Puget Sound in Washington. Later on he was transferred to Texas and became a paratrooper. He graduated from officer school on November 19, 1943. In October 1944, he graduated with his jump wings.

Foley was sent to Bastogne to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. He commented, 'I'm making my first nighttime jump four feet off the ground off the end of a ten-ton truck.' He joined E Company's first platoon, and took command of it when platoon leader Thomas Peacock won the furlough to return to the States. Foley led the first platoon during the major assault on the town of Foy, outside of the Belgian city of Bastogne. Radio contact was poor during the attack. While advancing along with his platoon, the men came across a barbed wire fence and encountered three Germans, who were quickly captured. There was the platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeant Johnny Martin, along with a few other men who left the platoon to find assistance. The men got to the central post and linked up with E Company Commander First Lieutenant Norman Dike. Lieutenant Dike ordered Foley to bring the first platoon to another assault position. While moving, the group were pinned down by snipers hiding in a haystack. Foley was shot through his boot and two of Foley's men were shot. After Ronald Speirs assumed command and with the protective fire from the machine-gunners, the 1st platoon was able to launch grenades to the haystack, eliminating the snipers there, and continued the assault.

Foley also took part in Haguenau action in February 1945. One night, a private became intoxicated and disorderly, and was court-martialed for assaulting Foley; when Foley reported the details to Colonel Robert Sink, Sink told him, "Foley, you could have saved us all a lot of trouble. You should have shot him." During the battle, mortar shells were coming in and a lot of fragments flying around all day and night. One evening, Foley had to walk up to Regimental HQ because two of his men had been wounded after they were walking in and out of town searching for liquor. Colonel Robert Sink, whom he had to report to, said something similar, "Foley, you should have shot those fellows, it saved us all this paperwork". After leaving his office and regrouping with his unit, he was wounded by the bombing. A medic removed a couple of metal fragments from Foley's right wrist. Two weeks later when Easy Company returned to Mourmelon, his wrist became swollen and infected.

In April 1945, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered all unit commanders to hold memorial services. Foley, who was Catholic, pulled out his St. Joseph Missal and read it to his troops. He later quipped that he was "the only man who ever buried Franklin D. [who is Episcopalian] as a Catholic.".

Foley and the rest of Easy Company moved into Germany and Austria for occupation duties. In Austria, Foley and E Company Commander Ronald Speirs acted quickly to find a doctor that saved the life of a man who had been wounded by another soldier. Foley eventually retired from the army as a Captain.

Later years

Foley returned to the University of Pittsburgh to complete his degree and began his career at ALCOA. Following that, he was employed in advertising newsletters for the Aluminum Cooking Utensil Co. in New Kensington, the Cutco Co. in Olean, N.Y., the Alcoa Wrap Co. in New Kensington and Alcoa in Pittsburgh before retiring in 1982.

Bill Guarnere was able to find Foley through a letter. After that, Foley attended the Easy Company reunions and visited Europe several times.

Foley died of complications of Type 1 diabetes on September 14, 2009. He was survived by his wife Mary-Louise (née Naughton) and their five children; Karen, Barbara, John, David, and Nancy. His two brothers, Randall James of Texas, also a World War II veteran, and Richard of California predeceased him.