- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJoseph Jacob Foss
- Nickname
- The American Ace of Aces
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Joe Foss was born and raised on a farm just outside Sioux Falls, SD. As a young man he was fascinated by the exploits of Charles A. Lindbergh, and vowed to one day "trade his horse for a plow." He joined the Marines during WWII and, despite his age, became a pilot. Foss scored 26 kills during the war, tying Eddie Rickenbacker's WWI record. Foss received the Medal of Honor for his work. He later served as a colonel during the Korean War.
After Foss left the military, he went into politics, serving in the South Dakota legislature. In 1955 he became South Dakota's youngest governor, serving two years in that office. He was also an avid hunter and sportsman. He served as the American Football League's first president (1960-1966), was the original host of ABC's The American Sportsman (1965) and was president of the National Rifle Association from 1988 to 1990.
Foss was taken to the hospital October 7, 2002 after suffering a brain aneurysm. He never came out of his coma.
- IMDb mini biography by: Mike Konczewski
- SpousesDonna Wild(1967 - January 1, 2003) (his death, 2 children)June Shakstad(1942 - 1959 ?) (divorced, 3 children)
- Elected as the youngest governor in the history of South Dakota at age 39.
- Medal of Honor winner as a Marine fighter pilot in World War II. He shot down 26 Japanese fighters and bombers in the battle for Guadalcanal from October 1942 to January 1943. With his 26th "kill," he became the first American pilot of World War II to equal Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker's record in World War I. He also received the Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
- Survived by his second wife, two children, and two stepchildren.
- Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
- (1988-1990) President of the National Rifle Association.
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