[1] The village was heavily damaged during World War II, where it was the site of a battle between the Wehrmacht and the African American 92nd Infantry Division.

This changed when African American soldiers with the United States Army's segregated 92nd Infantry Division arrived in the village and shared their field rations with them.

[2] On 26 December 1944, soldiers with the 92nd Infantry Division clashed with the Wehrmacht's Austrian 4th Mountain Battalion in Sommocolonia during the Battle of Garfagnana.

While calling defensive artillery fire and a smoke screen to cover the escape of wounded American troops and partisans, he realized his observation post on the second floor of a house was surrounded by the Austrian soldiers.

[2][3][4][5] Due to the systemic racism within the United States Armed Forces at the time, Fox's sacrifice was not recognized, and there was no official record of the battle at Sommocolonia.

A later investigation in 1997 led to Fox and six other African American soldiers being awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration for valor in the United States Armed Forces.

After World War II, Sommocolonia's population began to decline as most residents gradually left in search of work.