Letter!

Got a response from the veteran I wrote to a few weeks ago. John Murray Fox (Lt. Col. USMC, Ret.) appears in the picture of the Battalion officers on the beach. He was the weapons platoon leader in C Company. And, luckily, it was the very same Murray Fox who wrote back.

He writes, in part:

Phil and I were good friends in and out of combat. His mother can be very proud of him both socially + militarily. I was with him when he was killed along with 1st Sgt attacking a cave which was hurting [?] his own men....

I could write more precise relationship but that was 60 years ago - although that day on Saipan is quite memorable.

....Phil was a great person and friend.


I think I'm going to make a print of that picture on the beach and mail it off to him.


ALSO: I've taken down the company roster sidebar for now, it's way too inaccurate and tough to maintain with Marines coming and going from the outfit. I'll work out some other way.

ALSO ALSO: got a copy of Captain Fred Stott's "Under Fire on Saipan" which is a specific history of 1/24 during that campaign, and info from those will be added into the previous day-to-day of Saipan. Paints a very different picture, which is the nice thing about specific resources.