Yesterday I promised to write about a couple Marines who had won the Medal of Honor. Today I am going to offer some information about Joe Foss. He was a fighter pilot in the South Pacific during World War II.
Foss shot his first plane out of the sky just one week after his arrival at Guadelcanal. That was October 16, 1942. By November 19 of the same year, Foss had shot down 23 enemy planes. By January of 1943, Foss had shot down 26 Zeroes. (Each Japanese plane was called a “Zero.”)
One time, when Foss landed his plane, that plane contained 200 bullet holes. Foss did not hesitate to put himself at risk, in order to aid a ship that wanted to torpedo an enemy vessel. He would fly straight down toward the intended target. As that ship aimed its guns at Foss, it also remained in one place, making it a much better target.
Foss carried a Bible and a pair of dice in the pockets of his flight suit. Foss once had his picture spread all over the cover of Life Magazine. Asked later to explain his philosophy, while engaged in battle, Foss provided this short description: “sill over style.”
Foss displayed valor during his many air battles. His actions illustrated how a Marine could feel deserving of a Medal of Honor. No one would ever point a finger at Joe Foss, and say that he had benefited from “stolen valor.”
