This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Steven Loomis (SaigonShipyard), IC3
to remember
Howard, John (born John Richard Cox, Jr.), LTJG.
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
LTjg JOHN RICHARD COX, Jr.
(aka actor John Howard)
WWII Navy Cross
AKA John Howard (April 14, 1913 - February 19, 1995) was an American actor noted for his work in film and television.
Born John Richard Cox, Jr. in Cleveland, Ohio, he was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of what is now Case Western Reserve University. At college he discovered a love for the theater, and took part in student productions. The good-looking and personable young Howard soon became a contract player for Paramount, working in a dozen pictures before getting his first memorable role as Ronald Colman's younger brother in Lost Horizon. He soon took over for Colman in the popular Bulldog Drummond series of films, starring in seven of the features (1937-39), and maintaining the film version of the detective as far more sophisticated than the original print character. Howard's next noteworthy assignment was as Katharine Hepburn's fiancé in The Philadelphia Story (1940).
He served in the Navy during World War II, eventually as Executive Officer aboard a minesweeper. When his vessel struck a mine off the French coast in August, 1944, killing the captain and severely damaging the ship, Howard took over command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to save several wounded sailors. For his gallantry he was awarded both the US Navy Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.
Upon his return to Hollywood, Howard was given the lead in lesser projects, but limited to supporting roles in feature pictures. Even his solid performance as Laraine Day's husband in The High and the Mighty (1954) did not generate any opportunities to break the pattern.
Howard wasn't familiar or comfortable with the new system of agents, contrary to his acting upbringing of being owned by Paramount studios. A shy and modest man, Howard didn't have the assertiveness expected in an audition, and wasn't comfortable "selling himself" to a film. Between his shyness and not having an assertive agent, Howard's acting career tapered out.
Howard made his Broadway debut in Hazel Flagg in 1953, where he met his wife, ballerina/actress Eva Ralf. He found a great friendship with Fred MacMurray, star of My Three Sons, and was a regular guest star on the show, playing Fred MacMurray's boss. He became one of the first screen actors to commit to working in the new field of television and continued to make occasional film appearances until the mid-1970s, then gradually moved into academia. He taught English at Highland Hall Waldorf School for over twenty years, helping to start the high school program at Highland Hall.
He died in 1995 of heart failure, aged 81, in Santa Rosa, California, survived by his wife and their four children. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Other Comments:
JOHN RICHARD COX, Jr.
NAVY CROSS
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to John Richard Cox, Jr., Lieutenant, Junior Grade, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. YMS-24, during minesweeping operations in support of the invasion of Southern France on 16 August 1944. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cox took charge when his commanding officer became a casualty and labored to save his ship after her bow had been blown off by a mine. Failing in this, he directed the removal of the wounded and risked his life by entering every compartment in search of missing or trapped men. When another mine exploded under the stern of one of the rescue vessels alongside, he jumped into the water between the two foundering craft and rescued a critically injured man who was in danger of drowning. The conduct of Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Cox throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 334 (January 1945)
YMS-24 was sunk during Operation Dragoon at Red Beach
Mined and sunk off St. Tropez, France in position 43º25'N, 06º43'E
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, with a follow-up force made up primarily of the French First Army. Despite being a large and complex military operation with a well executed amphibious and airborne component, Operation Dragoon still remains largely unknown to this day.
..
Normandy Campaign (1944)/Operation Overlord
From Month/Year
June / 1944
To Month/Year
June / 1944
Description The Normandy landings (codenamed Operation Neptune) were the landing operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war.
Planning for the operation began in 1943. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a substantial military deception, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, to mislead the Germans as to the date and location of the main Allied landings. The weather on D-Day was far from ideal, but postponing would have meant a delay of at least two weeks, as the invasion planners had requirements for the phase of the moon, the tides, and the time of day that meant only a few days in each month were deemed suitable. Hitler placed German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in command of German forces and of developing fortifications along the Atlantic Wall in anticipation of an Allied invasion.
The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France starting at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks.
The Allies failed to achieve all of their goals on the first day. Carentan, St. Lô, and Bayeux remained in German hands, and Caen, a major objective, was not captured until 21 July. Only two of the beaches (Juno and Gold) were linked on the first day, and all five bridgeheads were not connected until 12 June. However, the operation gained a foothold that the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Museums, memorials, and war cemeteries in the area host many visitors each year.
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune, commonly known as D-Day). A 1,200-plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than three million allied troops were in France by the end of August.
The decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion in 1944 was taken at the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), and General Bernard Montgomery was named as commander of the 21st Army Group, which comprised all the land forces involved in the invasion. The Normandy coast was chosen as the site of the invasion, with the Americans assigned to land at Utah and Omaha Beaches, the British at Sword and Gold Beaches, and Canadians at Juno Beach. To meet the conditions expected on the Normandy beachhead, special technology was developed, including two artificial ports called Mulberry harbours and an array of specialised tanks nicknamed Hobart's Funnies. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a substantial military deception, Operation Bodyguard, using both electronic and visual misinformation. This misled the Germans as to the date and location of the main Allied landings. Hitler placed German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in charge of developing fortifications all along the Atlantic Wall in anticipation of an invasion.
The Allies failed to reach their goals for the first day, but gained a tenuous foothold that they gradually expanded as they captured the port at Cherbourg on 26 June and the city of Caen on 21 July. A failed counterattack by German forces on 8 August led to 50,000 soldiers of the German 7th Army being trapped in the Falaise pocket. The Allies launched an invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon) on 15 August, and the Liberation of Paris followed on 25 August. German forces retreated across the Seine on 30 August 1944, marking the close of Operation Overlord.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
June / 1944
To Month/Year
June / 1944
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories He served in the Navy during World War II, eventually as Executive Officer aboard a minesweeper. When his vessel struck a mine off the French coast in August, 1944, killing the captain and severely damaging the ship, Howard took over command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to save several wounded sailors. For his gallantry he was awarded both the US Navy Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.
.png?ixlib=java-2.3.0&w=100&s=c49280a91b79826dbff47dc198f1bbf0 "Honorable Discharge Emblem (WWII)")
