John Murray Fox, leader of C/24’s weapons platoon and later HQ/24’s 81mm mortar platoon, passed away recently in Greenbrae, California.
“Murray” was a graduate of Worcester Academy and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He enlisted in the spring of 1942, attended OCS at Quantico, and was one of the first officers to join 1/24 at Camp Lejeune that winter. Lieutenant Fox fought through all four of the battalion’s campaigns, being wounded twice on Tinian, and eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Murray Fox was a good friend of my ancestor, Phil Wood, and I was very fortunate to correspond with him briefly and with the help of the very kind Phil Sheridan, who would read with Murray in his retirement home. He was, as far as I know, the last living 1/24 officer to fight in all of the battalion’s battles; that tie to the past is gone forever.
For a full obituary, please visit the San Francisco Chronicle; for more on Murray himself, see Honoring Marin Veterans.
Semper Fi, Murray.