496: Lessons in Servant Leadership from a Marine Hero

496: Lessons in Servant Leadership from a Marine Hero

From Blue Collar Leadership by Mack Story

March 20, 2026 · 29 min · Season 8

About this episode

The episode discusses lessons in servant leadership inspired by Colonel Wesley L. Fox's experiences with Corporal Myron J. Davis during the Korean War.

At age 82, US Marine Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Wesley L. Fox still was still inspiring crowds with stories of the leaders who shaped him, none more than Corporal Myron J. Davis during the freezing nights of the Korean War. Facing demoralized troops eating frozen rations in the dark, USMC Corporal Davis invested in a Coleman stove and insisted on carrying it himself—not for personal gain, but to ensure his squad could heat their food first. He passed it along without ever using it and always took the last, least desirable portions. Colonel Fox’s simple yet profound takeaway—“We knew he cared”—highlights how selfless acts demonstrate character and earn deep trust. Years later, at the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership in 2013, Colonel Fox’s fist bump and connection with Mack Story showed he lived these values, teaching that real leadership isn’t about rank or perks—it’s about serving those you lead to build teams that endure any hardship.

People in this episode

Host: Mack Story

Topics covered

  • servant leadership
  • military leadership
  • selflessness
  • team building
  • trust
  • inspiration

Keywords

  • servant leadership
  • Colonel Wesley L. Fox
  • Corporal Myron J. Davis
  • Korean War
  • trust
  • selflessness
  • leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: US Marine Corps

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