Most young boys dream of becoming an airplane pilot, so did Ace pilot Joseph Jacob Foss only his dream came true. Inspired by the flight he took on the Spirit of St. Louis when he was just a child, Foss immediately knew where his life would take him But before this aspiring young man could entertain his dreams, he knew that life after the military would eventually await him. Keeping his entire future in mind, Joe Foss obtained a degree in Business Administration from the
Shortly after graduating, Foss enlisted in the Marine Reserves hoping to become a Naval Aviator. Although Foss did receive his aviation license, the military decided that his skills could best be utilized by teaching other to fly and by joining the Marine Photographic Squadron, but this didn’t exactly satisfy his lifelong goal of being a fighter plane pilot. Not willing to give up on his dreams and take pictures, Foss auditioned for the F4F Wildcats and was immediately reassigned as a high ranking officer for the outfit. Foss proved to be one of the most effective, indispensable pilots that the military has ever seen. He single handedly managed to eliminate more than twenty three Japanese enemy planes, an accomplishment he received the Medal of Honor for. In a surprising twist, after the war was over, Foss returned to the west in order to take charge of his other pastime – football. As commissioner of the American Football League he played a big part in the league’s roots, but unfortunately he resigned from his post before the NFL took shape. In addition, Foss became a generous philanthropist and a media icon. A man such as this would never leave the world on an average day, passing away on New Years Day in 2003, Foss is buried with honor at the
Labels: pilots, war heroes
