Joe Foss
United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient (1915-2003) · United States · On the map · Politicians · Died at 87
Joseph Jacob Foss was a United States Marine Corps Major and a leading Marine fighter ace in World War II. He received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his role in air combat during the Guadalcanal campaign.
Joe Foss is read about 119 times a day, in 12 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 21 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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Foss during World War II
Watercolor of U.S. Marine Captain Joe Foss shooting down a Zero over Guadalcanal in October 1942
Foss stands with Cactus Air Force commander MajGen Roy Geiger.![An alternate logo used by the Marine Fighting Squadron 115 was "... 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."[16][17]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/VMF-115_WWII.jpg)
An alternate logo used by the Marine Fighting Squadron 115 was "... 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."[16][17]
L-R (foreground) Maj. Joe Foss, Maj. Marion Carl and advisor Charles Lindbergh in South Pacific, May 1944
Easter Seal Twins, Paula and Patricia Webber (Sumter, South Carolina); National Easter Seal Chairman Art Linkletter; President John F. Kennedy; President of the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Joseph Foss; Governor of South Carolina Ernest Hollings. Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C. in 1961.
Profile drawing of a Grumman F4F Wildcat flown by Joe Foss (Guadalcanal, c. 1942)Awards
About this person
In postwar years, he was an Air National Guard Brigadier General, served as the 20th governor of South Dakota (1955-1959), president of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and the first commissioner of the American Football League. He also was a television broadcaster.
