William J. Fox

Brigadier General William Joseph Fox (December 23, 1897 – April 11, 1993) was a United States Marine Corps Reserve officer and engineer. Fox oversaw the construction of various military airfields, including Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Irvine, California, and Henderson Field in Guadalcanal, both of which he commanded. Fox also served as a civil engineer for Los Angeles County from 1923 to 1955, after which he moved to Mexico, where he became a (a Mexican horse rider). The General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, California, is named after him.

Early life

William Joseph Fox was born on December 23, 1897, in Trenton, New Jersey. He graduated from high school in 1915 and completed an apprenticeship in carpentry.

Military career

Pre-World War II

In 1918, Fox enlisted in the United States Army. He trained and studied at the University of Southern California (USC). Fox was selected to join officer candidate school, and by 1925, he attained the rank of sergeant. Beginning in 1925, Fox took flying lessons at Mines Field, the modern-day Los Angeles International Airport, and after obtaining his pilot license, was a flight instructor. In 1926, Fox became a military officer and was given the rank of second lieutenant. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1929, but resigned his commission in 1932. By then, he had accumulated 200 flying hours and he was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a student pilot with the rank of first lieutenant. He earned his Wings of Gold once he completed his student pilot program. He eventually returned to USC where, in 1937, he graduated as a Bachelor of Engineering. In March 1941, Fox played the role of a stunt double for actor Errol Flynn in the film Dive Bomber. He was later inducted in the Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame for his role in the film. In 1942, he selected three Marine Corps Air Stations (MCAS)—Mojave (Auxiliary), El Centro, and Santa Barbara—and constructed a fourth—El Toro—to train pilots and crews for service in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Fox retired from civil engineering in 1955 and resigned from his local government positions. He became a member of the San Miguel team and later the Mexico national team. While in Mexico, Time columnist Ed Ainsworth described Fox becoming a as "utterly incredible" due to Fox's American heritage, stating that were the "most exclusive organization of strictly Mexican horsemen imaginable". Fox lived in Mexico until 1981 when he returned to the United States and settled in Fillmore, California.

Fox died in Fillmore on April 11, 1993. He was buried in Trenton.

Dates of ranks

The following table lists the ranks Fox held and his dates of promotion:

Awards and decorations

Fox's awards and decorations included the Legion of Merit with "V" device, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He also received a special letter from United States Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal for commanding the VMS-7R USMCR squadron for 4 years.