CDR Frank A. Fox, USN (Ret.)

Wisconsin-born Frank Fox met his bride Jane while stationed at Quonset late in World War II, and thereafter considered Rhode Island his home. He earned a Navy Cross in the Battle of Philippine Sea when his Avenger torpedo bomber scored a direct hit on the Japanese carrier Zuikaku, helping send her to the bottom. In other actions he sank a heavy cruiser and a cargo ship; he is also credited with destroying 11 aircraft on the ground and damaging 14 others. By the end of the war he had also earned a Distinguished Flying Cross and numerous Air Medals. Before retiring he served on NATO staff and commanded a fighter squadron. He was also one of the first naval aviators to land on the deck of a carrier. His citation will be accepted by his widow Jane.

 

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