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 Post subject: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:10 pm 
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After watching a Marine Corps aerial team, led by Capt. Clayton Jerome, perform aerobatics in open-cockpit biplanes, he was determined to become a Marine aviator.[6] Foss worked at a service station to pay for books and college tuition, and to begin flight lessons from Roy Lanning, at the Sioux Skyway Airfield in 1938, scraping up $65 to pay for the instruction. His younger brother took over the management of the farm and allowed Foss to go back to school and graduate from Washington High School in Sioux Falls. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1939 with a degree in business administration.

While at USD, Foss and other like-minded students convinced authorities to set up a CAA flying course at the university; he built up 100 flight hours by graduation. Foss paid his way through university by "bussing" tables. He joined the Sigma chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and excelled at sports in USD, fighting on the college boxing team, participating as a member of the track team and as a second-string guard on the football team.

Foss served as a Private in the 147th Field Artillery Regiment, Sioux Falls, South Dakota National Guard from 1939 to 1940. By 1940, armed with a pilot certificate and a college degree, Foss hitchhiked to Minneapolis to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserves, in order to join the Naval Aviation Cadet program to become a Naval Aviator.

Military career

After being designated a Naval Aviator, Foss graduated at Pensacola, Florida and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, then served as a "plowback" instructor at Naval Air Station Pensacola. At 26 years of age, he was considered too old to be a fighter pilot, and was instead sent to the Navy School of Photography. Upon completion of his initial assignment, he was transferred to Marine Photographic Squadron 1 (VMO-1) stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California. Dissatisfied with his role in photographic reconnaissance, Foss made repeated requests to be transferred to a fighter qualification program. He checked out in Grumman F4F Wildcats while still assigned to VMO-1, logging over 150 flight hours in June and July, 1942, and was eventually transferred to Marine Fighting Squadron 121 VMF-121 as the executive officer. While stateside, Foss married his high school sweetheart, June Shakstad in 1942.

Guadalcanal Flying Ace

In October 1942, VMF-121 pilots and aircraft were sent to Guadalcanal as part of Operation Watchtower to relieve VMF-223, which had been fighting for control of the air over the island since mid-August. On October 9, Foss and his group were catapult launched off the USS Copahee escort carrier and flew 350 miles (560 km) north to reach Guadalcanal. The air group, code named "Cactus", based at Henderson Field became known as the Cactus Air Force, and their presence played a pivotal role in the Battle of Guadalcanal.[12] Foss soon gained a reputation for aggressive close-in fighter tactics and uncanny gunnery skills. Foss shot down a Japanese Zero on his first combat mission on October 13, but his own F4F Wildcat was shot up as well, and with a dead engine and three more Zeros on his tail, he landed at full speed, with no flaps and minimal control on Henderson Field, barely missing a grove of palm trees. On 7 November his Wildcat was again hit, and he survived a ditching in the sea off the island of Malaita.

As lead pilot in his flight of eight Wildcats, the group soon became known as "Foss's Flying Circus", with two sections Foss nicknamed "Farm Boys" and "City Slickers." In December 1942, Foss contracted malaria. He was sent to Sydney, Australia for rehabilitation, where he met Australian ace Clive "Killer" Caldwell and delivered some lectures on operational flying to RAF pilots, newly assigned to the theater.[9] On January 1, 1943, Foss returned to Guadalcanal, to continue combat operations which lasted until February 9, 1943, although the Japanese attacks had waned from the height of the November 1942 crisis. In three months of sustained combat, Foss's Flying Circus had shot down 72 Japanese aircraft, including 26 credited to him. Upon matching the record of 26 kills held by America's top World War I ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, Foss was accorded the honor of becoming America's first "ace-of-aces" in World War II. One of the Japanese he shot down was ace Kaname Harada, who became a peace activist and met Foss many years later.

Foss returned to the United States in March 1943. On May 18, 1943, Foss received the Medal of Honor from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The White House ceremony was featured in Life magazine, with the reluctant Captain Foss appearing on the magazine's cover. He then was asked to participate in a war bond tour that stretched into 1944.

Return to combat

In February 1944, Foss returned to the Pacific theater to lead VMF-115, flying the F4U Corsair. VMF-115 was based in the combat zone around Emirau, St. Mathias Group in 1944. It was during this second tour that Foss met and became friends with fellow Marine fighter ace Marion Carl. He also had an opportunity to meet and fly with his boyhood idol, Charles Lindbergh, who was on assignment touring the South Pacific as an aviation consultant. After eight months of operational flying but no opportunities to increase his wartime score, Foss finished his combat service as one of America's top scoring pilots.

Foss again contracted malaria, and was sent home to the Klamath Falls, Oregon Rehabilitation Center. In February 1945, he became operations and training officer at the Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara, California.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Foss


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Air to Air with Joe Foss stateside.

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:46 pm 
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In the mid-60s, after being Governor of S.D., he did a TV recruiting ad for the ANG.
They show him taxing up in a F-102.
It would be fun to see that again.

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:48 pm 
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Even Joe wanted to fly the Corsair... :wink:

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:20 am 
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Quote:
He was sent to Sydney, Australia for rehabilitation, where he met Australian ace Clive "Killer" Caldwell and delivered some lectures on operational flying to RAF pilots, newly assigned to the theater.[

Small correction...Clive Killer Caldwell was RAAF,not RAF unless he was talking about 54 Sqd RAF who arrived to defend Darwin with 452 and 457 Sqd.

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 8:13 pm 
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My son did a report on him for his home school group this past year. It was fun to look up info on him and I was really impressed with all he did in his life.

He asked him what fighter pilot he should do a report on, I answered the same way I answer when he asks me how my favorite super hero is... Joe Foss.

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 4:52 am 
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I recently purchased his autobiography " Proud American, Joe Foss." I simply wanted to learn more about him and his exploits in the war so I purchased a used paperback online . What I received yesterday was a thick hard copy. It has a note and his signature on the inside! Not bad for $11. bucks.


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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 3:30 pm 
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Using used book websites, you can do a specific search for signed copies.
Often they are not much, if any, more expensive than regular editions, as the author's fame passes.
Now, it won't work on big "names" (Wrights, Lindbergh, etc), but it seems to be the case with many aviation personalities, especially those who mean more to "us" than the general public.

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 Post subject: Re: Joe Foss ...
PostPosted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 3:32 pm 
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In 1970, prior to shipping out for Vietnam, I was flying home in uniform on the Washington Shuttle and recognized him when I got on the plane. I asked his wife it he was indeed Joe Foss. He overheard that and asked me if I would like to sit with them. He was very gracious and forthcoming to a young kid in the Army who got to meet one of his hero's. I'll never forget it.


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