Jerome J. Fox

World War II

Jerome Fox was born on August 31, 1917, on the family farm south of Templeton in Audubon County. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Rolfes) Fox. Jerry attended school and graduated from high school in Gray, IA.

On September 12, 1935, Jerry enlisted in the US Marine Corps in Chicago and was sent to Parris Island, SC for basic training. His assignments in the Marine Corps were many and included:

Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA
USS Louisville, San Pedro, CA
USS Manley, San Jose, Guatemala
USS Augusta, Shanghai, China and Philippine Islands
USS Babbitt, Panama Canal Zone
Guantanamo, Cuba
Fort Mifflin, PA
Quantico, VA

Jerry was discharged from the Marine Corps on September 11, 1941, as a Private First Class to Illinois. Two weeks later, he registered for the military draft. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked and America entered World War II.

Jerry was inducted into the US Army in Peoria, IL on December 28, 1942, and assigned serial number 36440540. The 767th Bombardment Squadron was activated on July 1, 1943, at Wendover, UT and assigned to the 461st Bombardment Group. Jerry was a member of the 767th Squadron and began training with B-24 Liberators. By September 18, 1944, Jerry had completed the Combat Crew training course as an aerial gunner. He joined the 767th Squadron which was already engaged in the war effort.

The Squadron was operating from Torretto Airfield, Italy, and was conducting bombing missions against German positions in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania and Yugoslavia. Jerry’s position was as a nose gunner in aircraft #61 and he was now a Corporal. They also flew some airlift missions and flew supplies to prisoners of war in Austria after the war ended on May 8, 1945. The Squadron began returning to the United States in July, 1945 where it reassembled at Sioux Falls Army Air Field in South Dakota. Jerry was again discharged, this time as a Staff Sergeant.

Jerry attended Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Education. On September 12, 1953, he married Marion Hillyard in Wellington, MO. He lived most of the remainder of his life in Fort Dodge, IA. He died on April 22, 2011, in Stratford, IA at age 93. He was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton.