World War II Honoree

Joseph Jacob Foss

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE WAS AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. CAPTAIN, U.S. MARINE CORPS RESERVE, MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 121, 1ST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING. PLACE AND DATE: OVER GUADALCANAL, OCTOBER 9 TO NOVEMBER 19, 1942, JANUARY 15 AND 23, 1943. ENTERED SERVICE AT: SOUTH DAKOTA. BORN: 17 APRIL 17, 1915, SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. CITATION: 'FOR OUTSTANDING HEROISM AND COURAGE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF MARINE FIGHTING SQUADRON 121, 1ST MARINE AIRCRAFT WING, AT GUADALCANAL. ENGAGING IN ALMOST DAILY COMBAT WITH THE ENEMY FROM OCTOBER 9 TO NOVEMBER 19, 1942, CAPTAIN FOSS PERSONALLY SHOT DOWN 23 JAPANESE PLANES 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 3 MORE ENEMY PLANES TO HIS ALREADY BRILLIANT SUCCESSES FOR A RECORD OF AERIAL COMBAT ACHIEVEMENT UNSURPASSED IN THIS WAR. BOLDLY SEARCHING OUT AN APPROACHING ENEMY FORCE ON 25 JANUARY, CAPTAIN FOSS LED HIS 8 F-4F MARINE PLANES AND 4 ARMY P-38'S INTO ACTION AND, UNDAUNTED BY TREMENDOUSLY SUPERIOR NUMBERS, INTERCEPTED AND STRUCK WITH SUCH FORCE THAT 4 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.'