Waterbury is the fifth-largest city in Connecticut and is often called the “Brass City,” an homage to its centuries-old roots as a producer of the alloy. It is the birthplace of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, the original Mickey Mouse watch, and Timex. The city is also home to Holy Land USA, a defunct interactive Bible scene set across eighteen acres in the center of town. For the last sixty years its lighted “Peace Cross” on top of the mountain has stood as a beacon for Waterbury and I-84 motorists. Construction of the attraction began in 1957, the work of a devout Catholic lawyer with help from an army of volunteers. During the 1960s and 70s the 200-piece Holy Land USA was a popular attraction, drawing 40,000 visitors per year at its peak. When its founder and chief caretaker became frail in the 1980s, so did the park. It was closed in 1984 and left in the hands of under-equipped nuns, who for the next thirty years watched over the site as its features became overgrown and vandals hastened its demise.
On the Maryland side of the Potomac River just west of Chesapeake Bay, the largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere sits half-sunk and decomposing. In the early 20th century, hundreds of U.S. vessels were sent to Mallows Bay to be destroyed and scrapped – and to this day the remains of dozens can still be seen in the shallow water. How did the ships end up here and why were they abandoned?
As of mid-2011, Mount Everest has claimed the lives of over 216 known mountain climbers. The area above 26,000 feet is called “the Death Zone”, where breathing fresh oxygen from canisters is necessary for all but the most experienced climbers. The atmospheric pressure is about a third of that at sea level, meaning there is about one third the amount of oxygen to breathe. The air is so thin recovery of bodies has proven impossible – and for many, Everest is where they take their last breath.
Exactly how high is the highest city in the world? How about over 3 miles? La Rinconada Peru is a rare case: an old gold-mining camp in a remote location that has grown to ‘major city’ status, and stayed there. Over 50,000 people live in this mountainous city located in the Peruvian Andes. At an altitude of 16,732 feet (5,100 m), it lays claim to the title of “highest city in the world.”
Action Park was one of the first water parks in the United States, and by the time it closed in 1996 it was the most dangerous. The park was a pioneer, not afraid to experiment with attractions in the quest for fun. Aggressive ad campaigns brought a million visitors per year and turned the northern New Jersey water park into a household name. But a lax attitude toward safety eventually caught up with the owners. After 18 years of operation, a series of lawsuits stemming from injuries and deaths forced the park to close. This is a look-back at the classic water park and the wild attractions which made it famous.
The Horace Mann School of Gary, Indiana is on the short list of American high schools that have graduated more than 75 classes of students. A creation of innovative educator William Wirt, the unique school took seven years to build and was finished in 1928. The campus set a new standard for the area’s public schools by featuring landscaped rolling hills, multiple gyms and pools, and even a man-made pond. Horace Mann’s fortunes would ebb and flow with those of Gary; when the city’s population declined so did enrollment at the school. In 2004 the school board voted to shutter the building, and nine years later the ailing building still stands vacant and crumbling. Is the school’s rich history enough to secure its future?
Plans for the S.S.America were laid down under the first Maritime Commission contract on August 22, 1938. The builder was to be the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry dock Company, in Newport News Virginia. The America was designed by noted naval architect William Francis Gibbs and constructed for the United States Lines company. She was one of the few ocean liners of the time that had interiors designed by women. The S.S. America was launched on August 31, 1939 and was sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the President of the United States. The America served her owners faithfully for 55 years until she was finally run aground in the Canary Islands in 1994. To this day she sits stranded, and deteriorating.
Have you ever heard of the first African Americans to be awarded the medal of honor after their death in American history? Well, that list would never be complete without the name John Robert Fox. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 18th May 1915, John R. Fox showed great courage in the face of danger on the battlefield, against the Germans, by calling an artillery strike firing towards his position. But what exactly happened that led to his recognition as a great icon of courage and receiving the medal of honor award, the nation’s highest military decoration?
Who was John R. Fox?
John R. Fox was the eldest of his three siblings raised in Wyoming, Ohio. Before transferring to Wilberforce University as a commissioned college-going officer working under World War I veteran Aaron R. Fisher, Fox attended Ohio State University. Fox graduated with an Engineering degree and became a U.S. Army second Lieutenant in 1941. Fox would then serve in the military under the segregated African-American division until his patriotic death on 26th December 1944 at the World War II waterfront in a small Italian village, Sommocolonia, Italy. Fox went against all odds to become a hero in his country, having been denied many rights for the sole reason of being black.
Sommocolonia, Italy
Known as the land of seven hills, Italy has many beautiful and attractive villages located on the hilltops. Sommocolonia is one of those hilltop villages. Located in Barga, Italy, Sommocolonia was heavily damaged and affected during the Second World War. With less than 50 inhabitants, Sommocolonia is a lonely village with winding roads. When you visit, you will be met with a commemorative tombstone of John R. Fox, who sacrificed his life in a bid to stop the German Nazis who had overpowered his infantry division in 1944.
What Happened in Sommocolonia?
Imagine being at the war front against an enemy who has outnumbered you both in strength and aggression. You notice that your infantry squad needs time to reorganize themselves before attacking; else, they will all be killed. This situation is what made John R. Fox sacrifice his life for the sake of his fellow soldiers. On Christmas night, 1944, there was an increase of enemy soldiers in civilian clothes. By morning the following day, the town had been placed under the enemy command. On 26th December, uniformed German soldiers launched several attacks against the Americans, pushing them away and putting the area under the German shell. Even so, Fox and his fellow observation members remained behind in a building directing his American comrades’ attacks. The German soldiers surrounded the building, and Fox instructed his battalion commander to run the artillery fire in his direction. Pressing forward in large numbers, the Germans continued to move closer to the building, exactly where Fox wanted them to be. He then ordered his battalion commander to move the artillery fire closer by a few yards, after which he ordered them to fire the barrage in his direction. This act led to Fox’s death, along with eight Italian soldiers. But the attacker killed over 100 German soldiers, weakening the enemy and ultimately delaying their advances in the area.
Military Awards and Honours
After his burial in Colebrook Cemetery in Whitman, Massachusetts, Fox was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1982. His wife received the Medal of Honour (MOH) from president Bill Clinton in 1997. The MOH has always been considered the highest military decoration of great courage against all odds. In Italy, a monument was erected in Sommocolonia in commemoration of Fox and the other eight soldiers killed in the artillery fire attack of 1944. Lastly, a peace park in Sommocolonia was dedicated in memory of John R. Fox.
Other military awards and honors that John R. Fox received:
Bronze Star Medal.
Combat Infantry Badge.
Purple Heart Award.
World War II Victory medal.
American Defence Service Medal.
Hasbro’s 12-inch action figure.
Final Thoughts
Sacrificing your life to save others requires a heart of gold and a winning spirit guided by a positive mentality. These are the virtues that John Robert Fox stood for, thus continuing the military’s highly valued traditions. John R. Fox deserved the Medal of Honor his wife received later in his name and is revered as an American hero.
