The battle on Fox Hill in North Korea was known as an inspirational triumph to the Marine Corps and to America. The courageous acts made there were just as heroic as those done in Iwo Jima, Khe Sanh, and Belleau Wood, which were also marked as some of our proudest moments in history. In 1981, the 27th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert H. Barrow, wrote in a letter to Captain William Barber, “I regard your performance as commander of Fox Company at Toktong Pass from November 27 through December 2, 1950, as the single most distinguished act of personal courage and extraordinary leadership I have witnessed or about which I read.”
Through our careers in the Marine Corps we hear about amazing battles, heroic deaths, medals of Honor, and wounded warriors. Marines have given their lives to protect each other and defeat the enemy. We all have a favorite super hero and mine doesn’t wear a cape and at the time of his heroic action was a rank below me. Private Hector Cafferata received his Medal of Honor after killing numerous fire teams of the Chinese army. If he played baseball before joining the Marines he proved it by using his E-Tool like a bat and knocking back thrown grenades.
The Marines of Fox Company are the fearless warriors we should all strive to be and nothing less. Out of the 14 leadership traits, courage is what shines throughout this story. To me the week long struggle through ice cold weather is something that I can’t even imagine but I won’t say it’ll never happen to me. Being in the front of the battle was something I thought I wanted to do just to prove it to myself but after reading The Last Stand of Fox company I’ve realized it’s going to take a lot more than what I thought.
The Essay on The Last Stand of Fox Company 2
1. In as few words as possible, what is this book about? This book is a true story about a company from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, during the Chosin Reservoir in November of 1950 when China was getting involved in the Korean War. The company had to hold a hill so that other Marine units could fight their way clear of the Chinese and make it to the coast to get out of North Korea. 2. What ...
Though this is based on a true story there is still a message. It’s to every marine who wanted to give up on anything. The will and the strength to push forward in every struggle is part of what makes you into a good marine. If we gave up every time things got rough then there wouldn’t be a United States of America to defend and we wouldn’t be called Marines.
