Jack E. Foley
Jack Edward Foley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 18, 1922 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Died | September 14, 2009 (aged 87) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Place of burial | St. Bartholomew Church, Frankstown |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943-1945 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Unit | Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
| Relations | -Mary L. Naughton (wife) -Randall James, Richard (brothers) -John R. N. Foley (son) |
| Other work | Sales Promotion Manager |
Captain Jack Edward Foley (August 18, 1922 - September 14, 2009)[1] was a commissioned officer with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Foley was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Jamie Bamber.
Youth[edit]
Foley was born in 1922 to Randall A., and Viola (née Meahl) Foley.[2][3] Foley graduated from the now-defunct South Hills High School in 1940, then enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, where during the 1942-43 season he earned a varsity letter as a manager for the university's basketball team.[3][4] While at Pittsburgh in his third year,[5] he along with almost twenty other members of his ROTC class were commissioned into military service on June 29, 1943.[2]
Military service[edit]
In November 1943, Foley served in the Coast Artillery Corps with the rank of First Lieutenant, while defending a part of Puget Sound in Washington.[3] Later on he was transferred to Texas and became a paratrooper.[3] He graduated from officer school on November 19, 1943.[6] In October 1944, he graduated with his jump wings.
Foley was sent to Bastogne to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. He commented, 'I'm making my first nighttime jump four feet off the ground off the end of a ten-ton truck.'[7] He joined E Company's first platoon, and took command of it when platoon leader Thomas Peacock won the furlough to return to the States. Foley led the first platoon during the major assault on the town of Foy, outside of the Belgian city of Bastogne. Radio contact was poor during the attack. [8][dead link] While advancing along with his platoon, the men came across a barbed wire fence and encountered three Germans, who were quickly captured. There was the platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeant Johnny Martin, along with a few other men who left the platoon to find assistance. The men got to the central post and linked up with E Company Commander First Lieutenant Norman Dike. Lieutenant Dike ordered Foley to bring the first platoon to another assault position. While moving, the group were pinned down by snipers hiding in a haystack. Foley was shot through his boot and two of Foley's men were shot.[8] After Ronald Speirs assumed command and with the protective fire from the machine-gunners, the 1st platoon was able to launch grenades to the haystack, eliminating the snipers there, and continued the assault.[9]
Foley also took part in Haguenau action in February 1945. One night, a private became intoxicated and disorderly, and was court-martialed for assaulting Foley; when Foley reported the details to Colonel Robert Sink, Sink told him, "Foley, you could have saved us all a lot of trouble. You should have shot him." During the battle, mortar shells were coming in and a lot of fragments flying around all day and night. One evening, Foley had to walk up to Regimental HQ because two of his men had been wounded after they were walking in and out of town searching for liquor.[8] Colonel Robert Sink, whom he had to report to, said something similar, "Foley, you should have shot those fellows, it saved us all this paperwork".[10] After leaving his office and regrouping with his unit, he was wounded by the bombing. A medic removed a couple of metal fragments from Foley's right wrist.[8] Two weeks later when Easy Company returned to Mourmelon, his wrist became swollen and infected.[8]
In April 1945, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered all unit commanders to hold memorial services. Foley, who was Catholic, pulled out his St. Joseph Missal and read it to his troops. He later quipped that he was "the only man who ever buried Franklin D. [who is Episcopalian] as a Catholic.".[3]
Foley and the rest of Easy Company moved into Germany and Austria for occupation duties. In Austria, Foley and E Company Commander Ronald Speirs acted quickly to find a doctor that saved the life of a man who had been wounded by another soldier.[11] Foley eventually retired from the army as a Captain.[8]
Later years[edit]
Foley returned to the University of Pittsburgh to complete his degree and began his career at ALCOA.[2] Following that, he was employed in advertising newsletters for the Aluminum Cooking Utensil Co. in New Kensington, the Cutco Co. in Olean, N.Y., the Alcoa Wrap Co. in New Kensington and Alcoa in Pittsburgh before retiring in 1982.[3] In 1970, Foley presented an aluminum tennis racket to Roberto Clemente as a part of an ad campaign for the new use of aluminum in rackets.[3]
Bill Guarnere was able to find Foley through a letter.[8] After that, Foley attended the Easy Company reunions and visited Europe several times.[8] He was featured in numerous activities meant to honor and memorialize veterans in the Pittsburgh area.[12][13]
Foley died of complications of Type 1 diabetes on September 14, 2009.[2] He was survived by his wife Mary-Louise (née Naughton) and their five children; Karen, Barbara, John, David, and Nancy.[2] His two brothers, Randall James of Texas, also a World War II veteran, and Richard of California predeceased him.
References[edit]
- ↑ Social Security Death Index record
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Classified Obituary: Jack E. Foley". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Ove, Torsten (2009-09-17). "Obituary: Jack E. Foley / Brookline native, one of the 'Band of Brothers'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ↑ Hotchkiss, Greg, ed. (2009). 2009-10 Pitt Men's Basketball Media Guide (PDF). University of Pittsburgh Athletic Media Relations Office. p. 175. Retrieved 2010-01-12. Search this book on
- ↑ WWII Army Enlistment Records: on-line NARA Archival Database
- ↑ "1 st Lt. Jack Foley, 506th PIR 2nd Battalion 101st airborne". WW II Paratrooper Webbase. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- ↑ p.208, Alexander
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 "Jack Foley". The Men of Easy Company Association. 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
- ↑ Chapter 12, Ambrose
- ↑ Ambrose, p.235.
- ↑ Location 1131, Ooms
- ↑ Laurinatis, Judy. Veterans Bring D-Day Memories to Life at Library Program. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) June 9, 2004, page EZ-4, accessed October 16, 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14452620/
- ↑ Lash, Cindi. Easy Company Vet Honored in Penn Hills, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) November 13, 2001, page B-1 and B-2, accessed October 16, 2017 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14452673/ and https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14452679/
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Bibliography[edit]
- Ambrose, Stephen E. (1992). Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-7434-6411-6. Search this book on
- Larry Alexander (2011). In the Footsteps of the Band of Brothers: A Return to Easy Company's Battefields with Sgt. Forrest Guth). NAL Trade. ISBN 0451233158. Search this book on
- Ooms, Ronald (2013). Silver Eagle - The Official Biography of 'Band of Brothers' Veteran Clancy Lyall. Pneuma Springs Publishing. ISBN 9781782282648. Search this book on
- Ciotola, Nicholas P. (2005). Oral History Interview with Jack Foley. Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center, acc. 2014.0102. Search this book on
External links[edit]
- Bio on Normandy 1944
- "Easy Company vet honored in Penn Hills". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 13, 2001.
- Brookline War Memorial – The Cannon and Veteran's Memorial Park
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