"I have only two men out of my company and twenty out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." First Lt. Clifton B. Cates's report on July 19, 1918, reminds us that controlling one's fear is key to success on the battlefield. Cates-a future commandant of the Marine Corps-held, but if his fear had bested him, he might not have been able to think clearly or lead his men successfully, possibly sacrificing his men's lives and the mission. Medal of Honor recipient and retired Marine colonel Wesley L. Fox writes about his fears in difficult operational and training situations, their effect on him, and he how he handled particular fears. While he focuses primarily on military experiences, Fox's methods of handling the thoughts, actions, and reactions to fear apply to civilian circumstances as well. Fear can bombard us in our daily routine, sometimes in unexpected ways. The more we know about ourselves and how fear affects us, the better able we are to control it and to produce positive results. "If fear is not handled properly and promptly," Fox writes, "it can and will override common sense, good judgment, and the positive decision-making process."

Intrigued by the mystique and challenge of the Marine Corps, eighteen-year-old Wesley Fox enlisted in the summer of 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War. He saw action with the First Marine Division in Korea and was wounded in 1951. After Korea, Fox advanced steadily in the enlisted ranks, reaching the rank of first sergeant, and, early in the Vietnam War, he received an appointment as second lieutenant. While serving as a rifle company commander with the Third Marine Division in 1969, he was twice wounded in a vicious battle during Operation Dewey Canyon. Early in this battle, every member of the company’s command staff was either wounded or killed. In an all-or-nothing effort led by First Lieutenant Fox, his company repulsed the attack of a much larger enemy force and then counterattacked with devastating results. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,” Fox received the Medal of Honor, which President Richard Nixon presented to him at the White House. Despite the personal sacrifice and frequent danger, Fox resolutely embraced the ethos of the Marine Corps, risking his life on numerous occasions and emerging as a leader in one of the most respected and feared fighting organizations in the world. Readers interested in U.S. military history from the second half of the twentieth century, in the Marine Corps, and in inspiring tales of personal achievement will find plenty of each in Fox’s extraordinary memoir.