John Robert Fox was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1915. He attended Wilberforce University, a historically black institution, in Ohio. While he was in school, Fox joined the campus ROTC, commanded by Aaron R. Fisher, an African-American recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I. Fox graduated in 1940 with a commission of second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Fox joined the US Army, 92nd Infantry Division, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He was sent to Europe to serve in the Cannon Company, 366th Infantry Regiment. His moment in history came on December 26, 1944 as a first lieutenant when he was stationed in the town of Sommocolonia, Italy.

On the morning of Christmas Day, 1944, German soldiers disguised as civilians had infiltrated the the town. By the next day, Sommocolonia was in enemy hands and the Germans began attacking the outnumbered US soldiers. Most of the Allied forces had pulled out of the town, but Fox and a few others remained behind to direct artillery fire toward the enemy in order to slow them down. However, realizing that this would not be enough, Fox calmly radioed the Fire Direction Command to strike on his position. His last words to the operator were, "There are hundreds of them coming... put everything you've got on my OP." The orders were solemnly followed and the strike was ordered. It allowed time for Allied forces to mount an offensive on the position days later. Fox''s body was recovered. It was also discovered that his strike order helped to kill over 100 enemy soldiers. Fox's sacrifice became legendary, but he received no honors from his country.

In 1982, the United States Congress posthumously awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Medal of Honor. The town of Sommocolonia never forgot the sacrifice of Fox. They erected a monument honoring his actions. His sacrifice to save the lives of his men made him a great American.

Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia. After her parent's divorce, Ella's mother moved her to Yonkers, New York. Ella's mother was killed in a car accident and she was sent back to Virginia where she got in trouble with the law and was sent to reform school. She broke out of school and made her way back to New York City during the heart of the Great Depression.

In 1934, Ella's name was pulled in a weekly drawing to perform at Amateur Night at the Apollo. She had planned on dancing, but when she heard that some of the best dancers in New York were going to close the show, she panicked and decided at the last minute to sing. In front of a rowdy crowd, she sang Hoagy Carnichael's "Judy." She quieted the audience and they were astounded by her performance. For the next year, she won every talent show she could find before joining a band lead by Chick Webb.

In mid-1936, she began singing swing and recorded her first song, "Love and Kisses." In 1938, at the age of 21, she recorded "A-tisket, A-tasket," that became a number one song for 17 weeks. Her national fame had begun.

In 1939, Ella started her own band and began touring the nation. She toured with greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong. Soon, Ella became an international star, recording covers of other musicians' albums. She also began appearing on television variety shows and was a frequent guest on "The Bing Crosby Show," "The Dinah Shore Show," and "The Ed Sullivan Show." During her time as a performer, she and her bands were subjected to racism and discrimination. Many famous performers came to her defense, including Marilyn Monroe, who helped her land a job at a very famous nightclub in the 1950's.

Off stage, Ella was greatly involved in the issue of child welfare. She made numerous donations to organizations for disadvantaged children. In 1979, she won the Kennedy Center Honors for her work in the arts. In 1987, she was awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President Reagan. In 1992, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush.

Ella Fitzgerald would be known as the First Lady of Song and her music helped shape American arts to this day. She recorded over 200 records in her career and was featured at Carnegie Hall 26 times. Her contribution to American music is unsurpassed and her passion for music made her a great American.