Sergeant Alexander Joseph Foley was a member of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the United States highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for having distinguished himself during the Boxer Rebellion.
Foley was born in Heckscherville, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrants, Edward and Catherine McDonald Foley. At a young age he decided that he was not going to work the coal mines as his father had done. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1888 for a period of five years. In 1893, he reenlisted and, in 1898, he was sent to Cuba during the SpanishAmerican War where he received his first taste of military action. He also participated in the Philippines Campaign.
Source: Wikipedia