School Friends Serve in Same Tank; Discharged
Melvin Fox and Erwin Gould have been just like brothers for the last three years, fighting side by side in the same tank while serving with the First armored tank division of the Fifth army in the European Theater. They were recently discharged from the army with the accredited 118 points.
“We were always dependent on one another. When I would miss he’d help me and then I’d do the same for him.” That is the statement made by Melvin Fox and Erwin Gould, two Sioux Cityans who, after fighting side by side in the same tank for more than three years in the European theater agree that friends can be closer than brothers.
“Our friendship began while in school,” they said, “and continued through West Junior School and Central High School.”
After graduation the two boys, still sticking together, enlisted January 21, 1941, just following Pearl Harbor.
On May 10, 1942, they were sent overseas from New York City with the First armored tank division of the Fifth army where they were assigned to “STUD” their tank. After stopping off in Northern Ireland and England they participated in the invasion of North Africa. Later, they saw action throughout Italy as far as Brenner Pass.
It was not much later that Cpl. Gould and Sgt. Fox, now 21, were ordered back to the States wearing seven battle stars with the European theater campaign bar. They were discharged recently from the army with an accredited 118 points.
The two Sioux Cityans each have a brother overseas, Pvt. Lyle Gould is serving with the Ninth armored division in Germany and Pfc. Eugene Fox is with the First armored division in Germany. The Gould brothers are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. George Scott, 2005 W. Horne Avenue and the Fox brothers parents are Mr. and Mrs. Roy Fox, 221 S. Judd Street.
Source: Sioux City Journal, July 15, 1945 (photo included)
