Joe Foss
Joe Foss | |
---|---|
President of the National Rifle Association | |
In office 1988–1990 | |
Preceded by | James E. Reinke |
Succeeded by | Richard D. Riley |
20th Governor of South Dakota | |
In office January 6, 1955 – January 6, 1959 | |
Lieutenant | L. Roy Houck |
Preceded by | Sigurd Anderson |
Succeeded by | Ralph Herseth |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Jacob Foss April 17, 1915 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S. |
Died | January 1, 2003 Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 87)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Spouses | June Shakstad
(m. 1942; div. 1967)Donna Wild Hall (m. 1967) |
Occupation | VMF-115 |
Battles/wars | World War II
|
Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (3) |
Joseph Jacob Foss (April 17, 1915 – January 1, 2003) was a
Early years
Foss was born in an unelectrified farmhouse near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the oldest son of Mary Esther (née Lacey) and Frank Ole Foss. He was of Norwegian and Scottish descent.[2] At age 12, he visited an airfield in Renner to see Charles Lindbergh on tour with his aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis. Four years later, he and his father paid $1.50 apiece to take their first aircraft ride in a Ford Trimotor at Black Hills Airport with a famed South Dakota aviator, Clyde Ice.[3]
In March 1933, while coming back from the fields during a storm, his father was killed when he drove over a downed electrical cable and was electrocuted as he stepped out of his automobile.[4] Young Foss, not yet 18 years old, pitched in with his mother and brother Cliff to continue running the family farm.[5] Farming was made difficult by dust storms, which over the next two years took its toll on crops and livestock.[citation needed]
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.[7]
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.[5] 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.[5][8]
Foss served as a Private in the
Military career
Effort to become a fighter pilot
After being designated a Naval Aviator, Foss graduated at
Guadalcanal Flying Ace
In October 1942, VMF-121 pilots and aircraft were sent to Guadalcanal as part of
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."[13] 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.[18] In three months of sustained combat, Foss's Flying Circus had shot down 72 Japanese aircraft, including 26 credited to him.[19] 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.[20] One of the Japanese he shot down was ace Kaname Harada, who became a peace activist and met Foss many years later.[21]
Foss returned to the United States in March 1943. On May 18, 1943, Foss received the
Return to combat
In February 1944, Foss returned to the Pacific theater to lead
Foss again contracted malaria, and was sent home to the Klamath Falls, Oregon Rehabilitation Center. [Note 3]In February 1945, he became operations and training officer at the Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara, California.[25][Note 4]
Postwar
Air National Guard
In August 1945, Foss was released to inactive duty and opened Joe Foss Flying Service, charter flying service and flight instruction school in Sioux Falls, that eventually grew into a 35-aircraft operation. With a friend, Duane "Duke" Corning, he later owned a Packard car dealership in the town.[26]
In October 1945, Foss was ordered to appear at Navy Day ceremonies in four cities there and was finally relieved from active duty in December 1945 but was retained in the Marine Corps Reserve on inactive duty until 1947. In 1946, Foss was appointed a
Political career
Campaigning from the cockpit of a light aircraft, Foss served two elected terms as a
In 1958, Foss unsuccessfully sought a seat in the
Later careers
American Football League
After serving as governor, Foss spent a short time working for Raven Industries before becoming the first Commissioner of the newly created American Football League in 1959. He oversaw the emergence of the league as the genesis of modern professional football. During the next seven years, Foss helped expand the league and made lucrative television deals, including the initial five-year, $10.6 million contract with ABC in 1960 to broadcast AFL games. The next contract was also for five years, but with NBC for a substantially greater $36 million, starting in 1965.[30][31]
Foss stepped aside as commissioner in April
Television career
Drawing on a lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors, Foss hosted
National Rifle Association
Starting in 1988, Foss was elected to two consecutive one-year terms as president of the
Philanthropy
Foss, who had a daughter with cerebral palsy, served as President of the
The Joe Foss Institute
In 2001, Foss and his second wife, "Didi,"[Note 7] founded the Joe Foss Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The institute works with veterans and educators around the United States to educate the nation's youth on history and civics, and to inspire them to become informed and engaged citizens.[38] Through classroom presentations, curriculum and scholarships, the Joe Foss Institute has served more than 1.35 million children, as of June 2014, nationwide. Currently, the institute offers three primary programs; Veterans Inspiring Patriotism (VIP), You are America Civics Series and scholarship contests which run year-round. Foss did many of these school visits himself, speaking to children of all ages about service, responsibility, patriotism, integrity and commitment.[39]
Other honors and recognition
Foss co-authored or was the subject of three books including the wartime Joe Foss: Flying Marine (with Walter Simmons); Top Guns (with Matthew Brennan); and A Proud American by his wife, Donna Wild Foss. Foss also provided the foreword to Above and Beyond: the Aviation Medals of Honor by Barrett Tillman, and was profiled in Tom Brokaw's 1998 book about World War II and its warriors, The Greatest Generation. Brokaw characterized Foss: "He had a hero's swagger but a winning smile to go with his plain talk and movie-star looks. Joe Foss was larger than life, and his heroics in the skies over the Pacific were just the beginning of a journey that would take him to places far from that farm with no electricity and not much hope north of Sioux Falls."[40]Brave Eagle, a 1955 postwar effort to film a story of Foss's life, starring his friend, John Wayne, fell through in 1956 when Foss refused to allow the producers to add a fictitious love story.[24] American Ace: The Joe Foss Story was an award-winning, hour-length television documentary, produced by the South Dakota Public Broadcasting, first aired in fall 2006.[3]
Foss was inducted into the
Later years
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2016) |
On January 11, 2002, Foss, then 86, was in the news when he was detained by security at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. He was scheduled to deliver an address at the National Rifle Association and speak to a class at the United States Military Academy at West Point. A search necessitated by his pacemaker precluding a metal detector screening had led to the discovery of the star-shaped Medal of Honor, along with a clearly marked dummy-bullet keychain, a second replica bullet and a small nail file (with MOH insignia).
The incident caused a furor with both media and public support given to Foss. Newsman Jack Cafferty noted that airport security personnel demonstrated poor judgment in not recognizing the Medal of Honor and in demanding to confiscate and destroy the medal and related memorabilia. He eventually lost a souvenir replica bullet, but was able to retain his Medal of Honor and commemorative nail file, by shipping it back to himself.[44]
"I wasn't upset for me ... I was upset for the Medal of Honor, that they just didn't know what it even was. It represents all of the guys who lost their lives – the guys who never came back. Everyone who put their lives on the line for their country. You're supposed to know what the Medal of Honor is", he said.[45] The incident led to a national debate about post 9/11 airport security practices and their ramifications on the average citizen.[46]
Death
Foss suffered a stroke in October 2002 when he bled from a cerebral aneurysm. He died three months later on New Year's Day, 2003, never having regained consciousness, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he and his wife had made their home in later years.[47][48] Vice President Dick Cheney, retired Lt. Colonel Oliver North and South Dakota native and NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw were among those who attended with North delivering the eulogy.
Actor Charlton Heston gave a brief tribute to his old friend. Foss was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 7A, Lot 162 on January 21, 2003.[49] Family, friends, military personnel and dignitaries remembered him fondly at a service in Arlington and at an earlier "Memorial Service for an American Patriot" in the old chapel at nearby Fort Myer.
Memorials
A number of institutions and locations have been named in honor of Foss, including Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Joe Foss Field, the Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Joe Foss Field at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport [Note 8] [Note 9], Joe Foss High School also in Sioux Falls, and the State Building in Pierre, South Dakota. A larger-than-life bronze statue of Foss stands in the lobby of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport.[50]
The Joe Foss Shooting Complex in Buckeye, Arizona, is also named in his honor.[51] A private road in Scottsdale, Arizona, owned by General Dynamics, was renamed "Joe Foss Way" and dedicated on May 20, 2003.[52]
In 1984, Foss was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. [53]
Foss was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, in 1994.[54]
Aerial victories
The Marine Corps credits Foss with 26 air victories, and Marine ace
AVG records show that Boyington was paid for 3.5 enemy aircraft destroyed (2-air, 1.5-ground).[56] The American Fighter Aces Association credits Boyington with 24 victories (22 with the Marine Corps and 2 with the AVG).
Date | Total | Aircraft Types Claimed |
---|---|---|
October 13, 1942 | 1 | A6M Allied reporting name: "Zeke" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 14, 1942 | 1 | A6M "Zeke" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 18, 1942 | 3 | 2 A6M "Zekes" and 1 G4M "Betty" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 20, 1942 | 2 | A6M "Zekes" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 23, 1942 | 4 | A6M "Zekes" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 25, 1942 | 2 | A6M "Zekes" destroyed (Cactus) |
October 25, 1942 | 3 | A6M "Zekes" destroyed (Cactus) |
November 7, 1942 | 3 | 1 A6M2-N "Rufe" and 2 F1M2 "Petes" destroyed (Cactus), but was shot down by the rear gunner of a Pete he shot down. Postwar records show the Japanese lost only one Pete that day.[57] |
November 12, 1942 | 3 | 2 G4M "Bettys" and 1 A6M Zero destroyed (Cactus) |
November 15, 1942 | 1 | E13A "Jake" destroyed (Cactus) |
January 15, 1943 | 3 | A6M "Zekes" destroyed (Cactus)[58] |
26 |
Military awards
Foss's military decorations and awards include:
United States Air Force Command Pilot Badge[59] | |||||||||||||
Naval Aviator Badge
| |||||||||||||
Medal of Honor | Distinguished Flying Cross | ||||||||||||
Air Medal w/ two 5⁄16" Gold Star |
Combat Action Ribbon | Air Force Presidential Unit Citation w/ one bronze oak leaf cluster | |||||||||||
Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star |
American Defense Service Medal | American Campaign Medal | |||||||||||
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two 3⁄16" Bronze Stars |
World War II Victory Medal
|
National Defense Service Medal w/ one 3⁄16" Bronze Star | |||||||||||
Air Force Longevity Service Award w/ one bronze oak leaf cluster |
hourglass device
|
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
|
Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR to
CAPTAIN JOSEPH J. FOSS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:For outstanding heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as Executive Officer of a Marine Fighting Squadron, at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Engaging in almost daily combat with the enemy from October 9 to November 19, 1942, Captain Foss personally shot down 23 Japanese aircraft and damaged others so severely that their destruction was extremely probable. In addition, during this period, he successfully led a large number of escort missions, skillfully covering reconnaissance, bombing and photographic planes as well as surface craft. On January 15, 1943, he added three more enemy aircraft to his already brilliant successes for a record of aerial combat achievement unsurpassed in this war. Boldly searching out an approaching enemy force on January 25, Captain Foss led his eight F4F Marine planes and four Army P-38s into action and, undaunted by tremendously superior numbers, intercepted and struck with such force that four Japanese fighters were shot down and the bombers were turned back without releasing a single bomb. His remarkable flying skill, inspiring leadership and indomitable fighting spirit were distinctive factors in the defense of strategic American positions on Guadalcanal.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
- American Football League players, coaches and contributors
References
Notes
- ^ Although only 27, his squadron mates gave him the unflattering nickname of "Old Foos."[1]
- ^ To preserve the scarce ammunition at Henderson, Foss removed one machine gun from each wing and relied on his "ability to shoot." At least four engagements were broken off when Foss ran out of ammunition.[9]
- ^ Foss had lost considerable weight during 20 bouts of malaria until successful treatment in the United States brought him back to health. He only weighed 140 lbs when he entered rehabilitation.[24]
- ^ Foss gained fame in the service and later, in civilian life, as a "cigar-smoking", Stetson hatted, larger-than-life boisterous character.[6]
- ^ Both Brokaw and Foss each won $612.
- What's My Linehost John Daly.
- ^ Foss married Donna Wild Foss, known as "Didi" in 1967.[37]
- ^ A larger-than-life bronze statue of Foss is in the lobby of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport.[50]
- ^ Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station is located at Sioux Falls Regional Airport.[28]
Citations
- ^ a b Miller 1969, p. 115
- ^ "Joe Foss Obituary". The Telegraph. January 3, 2003. Archived from the original on January 14, 2011.
- ^ a b "American Ace: The Joe Foss Story." Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine South Dakota Public Broadcasting, 2011. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ Bauer January 1990, p. 20.
- ^ a b c d Sims 1969, p. 32.
- ^ a b c "Joseph Jacob Foss". Historical Militaria. 1 January 2003. Archived from the original on March 4, 2003. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ "WWII ace Joe Foss dies at 87: Medal of Honor recipient led a storied life". The Arizona Republic. January 2, 2003.
- ^ "Medal of Honor recipients" Archived 2009-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, nicindy.org; accessed August 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c Bauer March 1990, p. 40.
- ^ Jackson 1978, p. 128.
- ^ Yenne 2009, p. 100
- ^ Miller 1969, p. xi.
- ^ a b Loomis 1961, p. 94.
- ^ Tillman 1995, p. 30.
- ^ Foss's flight on that memorable day is documented in Edward H. Sims' book Greatest Fighter Missions, as the third chapter of that compilation.
- ^ Brummell, Clyde Verlon (2005). Beyond a Dream. Portland, Oregon: Gann Publishing Co. pp. (from inside front cover).
... drawn by the Disney Studios (...) is exemplary of the squadron itself, and the cigar pays tribute to Major Joe Foss' ever-present 'stogie' (...) the name was chosen by popular vote.
- ^ "Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
- ^ a b Bauer May 1990, p. 80.
- ^ a b Shores 1975, p. 61.
- ^ Gurney 1982, p. 117.
- ^ Roberts, Sam (5 May 2016). "Kaname Harada, Pearl Harbor Fighter Pilot and, Later, a Pacifist, Dies at 99". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Joseph Foss – Life Magazine Cover"[permanent dead link] Life magazine, June 7, 1943 via life.com. Retrieved: August 3, 2011.
- ^ "The Story of Joe's Jokers." The Joe Foss Institute. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Bauer May 1990, p. 82.
- ^ "Brigadier General Joseph Jacob Foss, ANG (Deceased)."[permanent dead link] usmc.mil. Retrieved: August 3, 2011.
- ^ Brokaw 1998, p. 119.
- ^ "114th Fighter Wing, South Dakota Air National Guard." South Dakota Department of the Military and Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "Joe Foss" Century of Flight, 2003. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ Miller 1969, p. 212.
- ^ "AFL, NBC ink pact", Eugene Register-Guard, January 29, 1964, p. 3B.
- ^ "American Football League may be expanded in 1966." Nashua Telegraph, May 23, 1964, p. 8.
- ^ "Foss quits $50,000 post as AFL czar." Milwaukee Sentinel, April 8, 1966, pg. 2, part 2.
- ^ a b c d Bernstein, Adam. "WWII Ace, SD Gov. Joe Foss Dies; Also Headed Football League, NRA."[dead link] Washington Post, January 3, 2003. Retrieved: February 22, 2016.
- ^ "Appoint Davis as AFL czar", Milwaukee Sentinel, April 9, 1966, pg. 1, part 2.
- ^ "Woodard in, Davis out in AFL", Milwaukee Sentinel, July 26, 1966, pg. 2, part 2.
- ^ "TIME Magazine Cover: Joe Foss". TIME. July 29, 1990. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ Harriman, Peter. "S.D. loses legend, American hero." Argus Leader, January 2, 2003. Retrieved: August 3. 2011.
- ^ D'Amico, Diane. "Education Writer." Press of Atlantic City, December 10, 2010. Retrieved: February 22, 2016.
- ^ "Home: The Joe FossInstitute." The Joe Foss Institute. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ Brokaw 1998, p. 115.
- ^ "Enshrinees." Archived 2011-03-12 at the Wayback Machine National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved: August 3, 2011
- ^ Seal, Jon and Michael Ahn. ""An Interview with Joseph Jacob 'Joe' Foss."". Microsoft. Archived from the original on February 9, 2006. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Microsoft Games Studios, March 2000. Retrieved: August 3, 2011. - ^ "Accomplishments and Affiliations." The Joe Foss Institute. Retrieved: August 4, 2011.
- ^ Cafferty, Jack. "Interview with Joe Foss: Decorated WWII veteran detained, searched at airport" Archived 2006-08-21 at the Wayback Machine, CNN.com, February 27, 2002.
- ^ Smith 2003, p. xviii.
- ^ Alonso-Zildivar, Ricardo. "Public Anger Simmers Over Airport Searches", Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2002.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard. "Joe Foss, 87, Flying Ace Who Led Football League, Is Dead", The New York Times, January 2003.
- ^ Harriman, Peter and David Kranz. "S.D. loses legend, American hero", Argus Leader, January 2, 2003.
- ^ Notable Graves: Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II Arlington National Cemetery official website
- ^ a b Joe Foss profile, scottsdalerotary.org; retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ "Outdoor Shooting Facility." Joe Foss Shooting Complex; retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ Kurtinitis, Tracey. "General Dynamics honors legendary Scottsdale figure", East Valley Tribune, May 21, 2003; retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ "Enshrinee Joe Foss". nationalaviation.org. National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ Kaczor, Bill (1994-11-27). "Marine Aces True Hell-for-Leather Pilots". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
- ^ ""Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, USMCR (Deceased)"". Archived from the original on August 6, 2007. Retrieved 2006-02-17.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) Who's Who in Marine Corps History; retrieved August 3, 2011. - ^ Ford, Daniel quoting Dr. Frank Olynyk. "Victory credits." Stars and Bars: A Tribute to the American Fighter Ace via warbirdforum.com, 1995. Retrieved: August 3, 2011.
- ^ Hackett, Bob, Sander Kingsepp and Allan Alsleben. "Tokusetsu Suijoki-Bokan: IJN Seaplane Tender Kamikawa Maru: Tabular Record of Movement." Japanese Auxiliary Seaplane Tenders, 2006. Retrieved: July 9, 2012.
- ^ "Foss, Joseph Jacob." Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved: January 15, 2012.
- ^ For Air National Guard service
Bibliography
- Bauer, Daniel. "Joe Foss: American Hero (Part One)." Air Classics, Volume 26, Number 1, January 1990.
- Bauer, Daniel. "Joe Foss: American Hero (Part Two)." Air Classics, Volume 26, Number 3, March 1990.
- Bauer, Daniel. "Joe Foss: American Hero (Part Three)." Air Classics, Volume 26, Number 5, May 1990.
- "Brigadier General Joseph Jacob Foss, ANG." Who's Who in Marine Corps History.
- Brokaw, Tom. The Greatest Generation. New York: Random House, 1998. ISBN 978-0-375-50202-6.
- "Capt Joseph J. Foss, Medal of Honor, 1942, VMA, Guadalcanal (Medal of Honor citation)" at the Wayback Machine (archived June 13, 2006) United States Marine Corps
- Foss, Joe. A Proud American: The Autobiography of Joe Foss. New York: Presidio Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0-89141-775-0.
- Gurney, Gene. Five Down & Glory. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982, First edition 1965. ISBN 978-0-345-30799-6.
- Jackson, Robert. Fighter Aces of World War II: The True Stories of Fourteen of World War II's Fighter Pilots: London: Corgi Books, 1978. ISBN 0-552-10783-2.
- Loomis, Robert D. Great American Fighter Pilots of World War II. New York: Random House, 1961. ISBN 0-394-90396-X.
- Miller, Thomas G. Jr. The Cactus Air Force. New York: Ballantine Books, 1969. ISBN 0-553-14766-8.
- Shores, Christopher. Fighter Aces. London: Hamlyn Publishing, 1975. ISBN 0-600-30230-X.
- Sims, Edward H. Greatest Fighter Missions of the top Navy and Marine aces of World War II. New York: Ballantine Books, 1969, First edition 1962. ISBN 978-0-03-450163-6.
- Smith, Larry. Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2004, First edition 2003. ISBN 978-0-393-32562-1.
- Tillman, Barrett. Wildcat Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces). Oxford, UK: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 978-1-85532-486-2.
- Yenne, Bill. Aces High: The Heroic Saga of the Two Top-Scoring American Aces of World War II. New York: Berkley, 2009. ISBN 978-1-101-00266-7.
- Zimmerman, Dwight Jon and John D. Gresham. Uncommon Valor: The Medal of Honor and the Six Warriors Who Earned It in Afghanistan and Iraq. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-312-36385-7.
Further reading
- McCombs, Phil (January 22, 2003). "'He Flew with the Eagles': WWII Ace Joseph Foss Remembered at Arlington". The Washington Post.
- "Foss was big influence on NBC's Brokaw". The Arizona Republic. January 4, 2003.
- "Memorial service for WWII hero Joe Foss set for Thursday". The Arizona Republic. January 3, 2003.
- "WWII ace Joe Foss dies at 87". The Arizona Republic. January 2, 2003.
External links
- Joseph Foss – C.O. VMF-121
- Joseph J. Foss
- Joe Foss Institute
- South Dakota Air National Guard website
- Joe J. Foss, Medal of Honor – Joe Foss estate artifacts restored, preserved and displayed at Historical Registry
- Appearance on What's My Line quiz show on YouTube
- Arlington National Cemetery
- Appearances on C-SPAN