Posted on May 14, 2021
The Soldier Who Called in an Artillery Strike Against Himself
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On Christmas Eve of 1944, German forces infiltrated the village of Sommocolonia in the Tuscan region of Italy. The invasion was part of a larger planned operation called Winter Storm, also known as the “Christmas Offensive.”
After heavy pressure from the black community to actively participate in combat, several companies from the 92nd Infantry Division, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were sent to Italy to aid in penetrating the Gothic Line.
29-year-old Lieutenant John R. Fox, from the Cannon Company, 366th Infantry, was serving as a forward observer when the Germans arrived at Sommocolonia.
As he was overseeing the battle from a second-story window in an abandoned building, the Germans kept inflicting damage upon his unit and the villagers.
The enemies far outnumbered the scarce American troops who stayed behind, and Fox knew that only a drastic measure would slow down the attack and save many lives...
After heavy pressure from the black community to actively participate in combat, several companies from the 92nd Infantry Division, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were sent to Italy to aid in penetrating the Gothic Line.
29-year-old Lieutenant John R. Fox, from the Cannon Company, 366th Infantry, was serving as a forward observer when the Germans arrived at Sommocolonia.
As he was overseeing the battle from a second-story window in an abandoned building, the Germans kept inflicting damage upon his unit and the villagers.
The enemies far outnumbered the scarce American troops who stayed behind, and Fox knew that only a drastic measure would slow down the attack and save many lives...
Medal of Honor
WWII World War Two
Italy
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
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A true hero.
Many Americans forget that the fighting in Italy did not end on D-Day. It continued right up to the Nazi surrender, then some continued after that. My father, 363rd Inf. Regt., 91st Inf. Div., finished the war at Trieste where the was a lot of partisan fighting after the official end of the war. He did not get home until September 1945.
Many Americans forget that the fighting in Italy did not end on D-Day. It continued right up to the Nazi surrender, then some continued after that. My father, 363rd Inf. Regt., 91st Inf. Div., finished the war at Trieste where the was a lot of partisan fighting after the official end of the war. He did not get home until September 1945.
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