Years of service 1939-1942 Length 119 m Rank First Lieutenant | Name Myles Fox Launched January 13, 1945 Role Gearing-class destroyer Builder Bath Iron Works | |
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Born October 13, 1918
New York, New York ( 1918-10-13 ) Died August 7, 1942(1942-08-07) (aged 23)
Tulagi, in the Solomon Islands Allegiance United States of America Service/branch United States Marine Corps Unit 1st Marine Raider Battalion | ||
Construction started August 14, 1944 | ||
USS Myles C Fox DDR-829 in Heavy Seas
Myles C. Fox (1918–1942) was a United States Marine Corps officer who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the World War II Battle of Tulagi.
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Biography
Myles Crosby Fox was born in New York, New York, on October 13, 1918. He graduated from Williams College in 1939.
Fox enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on May 4, 1939. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant on November 29, 1940 and promoted to first lieutenant on April 11, 1942.
In the initial assault of the Guadalcanal campaign, Fox was with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion during the seizure of Tulagi on the night of August 7, 1942. He ignored mortal wounds to deploy his men skillfully in filling a key gap in the American lines, thus repulsing a Japanese attack with heavy losses.
Awards
First Lieutenant Fox was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his great valor.
Namesakes
The destroyer escort USS Myles C. Fox (DE-546) was named for First Lieutenant Fox, but her construction was cancelled in 1944. The destroyer USS Myles C. Fox (DD-829) then was named in his honor and was in commission from 1945 to 1979.