Military career Joe Foss

1 military career

1.1 effort become fighter pilot
1.2 guadalcanal flying ace
1.3 return combat

military career

foss during world war ii.


effort become fighter pilot

after being designated naval aviator, foss graduated @ pensacola, florida , commissioned second lieutenant, served plowback instructor @ naval air station pensacola. @ 26 years of age, considered old fighter pilot, , instead sent navy school of photography. upon completion of initial assignment, transferred marine photographic squadron 1 (vmo-1) stationed @ naval air station north island in san diego, california. dissatisfied role in photographic reconnaissance, foss made repeated requests transferred fighter qualification program. checked out in grumman f4f wildcats while still assigned vmo-1, logging on 150 flight hours in june , july, 1942, , transferred marine fighting squadron 121 vmf-121 executive officer. while stateside, foss married high school sweetheart, june shakstad in 1942.

watercolor of u.s. marine captain joe foss shooting down 0 on guadalcanal in october 1942


guadalcanal flying ace

in october 1942, vmf-121 pilots , aircraft sent guadalcanal part of operation watchtower relieve vmf-223, had been fighting control of air on island since mid-august. on october 9, foss , group catapult launched off uss copahee escort carrier , flew 350 miles (560 km) north reach guadalcanal. air group, code named cactus , based @ henderson field became known cactus air force, , presence played pivotal role in battle of guadalcanal. foss gained reputation aggressive close-in fighter tactics , uncanny gunnery skills. foss shot down japanese 0 on first combat mission on october 13, own f4f wildcat shot well, , dead engine , 3 more zeros on tail, landed @ full speed, no flaps , minimal control on henderson field, barely missing grove of palm trees. on 7 november wildcat again hit, , survived ditching in sea off island of malaita.

foss stands cactus air force commander majgen roy geiger.

as lead pilot in flight of 8 wildcats, group became known foss s flying circus, 2 sections foss nicknamed farm boys , city slickers. in december 1942, foss contracted malaria. sent sydney, australia rehabilitation, met australian ace clive killer caldwell , delivered lectures on operational flying raf pilots, newly assigned theater. on january 1, 1943, foss returned guadalcanal, continue combat operations lasted until february 9, 1943, although japanese attacks had waned height of november 1942 crisis. in 3 months of sustained combat, foss s flying circus had shot down 72 japanese aircraft, including 26 credited him. upon matching record of 26 kills held america s top world war ace, eddie rickenbacker, foss accorded honor of becoming america s first ace-of-aces in world war ii.

foss returned united states in march 1943. on may 18, 1943, foss received medal of honor president franklin delano roosevelt. white house ceremony featured in life magazine, reluctant captain foss appearing on magazine s cover. asked participate in war bond tour stretched 1944.

return combat

l–r (foreground) maj. joe foss, maj. marion carl , advisor charles lindbergh in south pacific, may 1944

in february 1944, foss returned pacific theater lead vmf-115, flying f4u corsair. vmf-115 based in combat zone around emirau, st. mathias group in 1944. during second tour foss met , became friends fellow marine fighter ace marion carl. had opportunity meet , fly boyhood idol, charles lindbergh, on assignment touring south pacific aviation consultant. after 8 months of operational flying no opportunities increase wartime score, foss finished combat service 1 of america s top scoring pilots.

foss again contracted malaria, , sent home klamath falls, oregon rehabilitation center. in february 1945, became operations , training officer @ marine corps air station santa barbara, california.

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