Posted on 01/01/2003 4:40:46 PM PST by Cagey
published: 1/3/2003
Flags fly at half-staff in memory of WWII flying ace
South Dakotans lowered their flags to half mast Thursday, and tributes honored the late war hero and governor, Joe Foss.
Foss, 87, died Wednesday in an Arizona hospital.
An honor guard placed a large wreath in front of a bronze statue of the World War II flying ace in Costello Terminal at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, also known as Joe Foss Field.
"I think Joe certainly found himself in the limelight often enough, but he would have been more comfortable with a shotgun hunting pheasants than attending a ceremony," said Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson of the Air National Guard.
Two members of the air honor guard, Master Sgt. Tim Wenzel and Tech. Sgt. Kurt Lunstra, placed the floral tribute at the foot of the statue as a large crowd waiting for flights watched in respectful silence.
Foss and Duke Corning co-founded the South Dakota Air Guard in 1946.
"We want to remember who he was, but he would want us to keep on living and standing up for what we believe in," Christopherson said.
Rajesh Nagarajan, of India, a student at South Dakota State University, watched the brief ceremony, not knowing who Foss was.
After learning about Foss' background, Nagarajan said he understood the meaning of the moment.
"I think that is appropriate," he said. "We honor our heroes in India, pay them respect. So it is nice they can do that for him today."
Sioux Falls Regional Airport Executive Director Mike Marnach arranged the tribute with Anderson's and Kelley's Flowers.
"I think it is in keeping with what we see the president do, and Joe Foss is a hero to South Dakotans and around the country," Marnach said. "And most people don't get a statue when they are alive."
The wreath contained red carnations, white monte casino and blue delphinium.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle also remembered Foss.
"Joe Foss was, quite simply, a South Dakota legend. Every time I fly into Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls, I am reminded that America today is the land of the free because people like Joe made it the home of the brave," Daschle said.
Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman for President Bush, agrees Foss is a national hero.
"He was an extraordinary man and dedicated veteran who fought courageously for his country," Stanzel said. "He dedicated his life to serving others and the causes he believed in."
Pastor Darryl DelHousaye of the Scottsdale Bible Church in Scottsdale, was Foss' spiritual leader for the last 23 years, and he was with him when he died.
"He was very much at peace, a strong witness in marvelous ways," DelHousaye said.
"He never lost his most wonderful, crystal-clear thinking. You always knew where Joe stood, never wishy-washy," he said.
Reach David Kranz at dkranz@argus leader.com or 331-2302
Ace fighter pilot Joe Foss never fired a shot in one of the greatest victories of World War II. Instead, the Marine pilot, who by that time had already recorded 26 kills, won the day as a strategist.
Foss and his “Flying Circus” squadron had already spent weeks in late 1942 holding off Japanese forces from Guadalcanal, a key U.S. position in the South Pacific. On his final day on the island, he led his squadron to intercept an incoming force of Japanese planes.
The enemy attack armada turned out to be nearly 100 planes strong and hopelessly outnumbered Foss’ defenders. He quickly signaled his men to circle in tight formation in plain view.
As he guessed, the Japanese pilots suspected the circling planes were decoys and were being protected by a large armada overhead — a tactic the Japanese used. Instead of continuing their mission to bomb Guadalcanal, the Japanese retreated.
“It is . . . one of the greatest bluffs in the history of aerial combat,” according to Foss’ citation by the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded him the nation’s highest combat honor, the Medal of Honor, and Foss later earned the rank of brigadier general in the National Guard. Foss, 87, died Wednesday at a Scottsdale hospice after suffering a stroke in October.
Services tentatively are set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Scottsdale Bible Church, 7601 E. Shea Blvd.
“If seeking to bestow the mantle of ‘hero’ on someone today, and in the future of American history, the task should commence by using a man like Gen. Foss as our yardstick,” said Mike Jackson, executive director of the Hall of Fame, on Thursday.
In addition to his military record, Foss served as governor of South Dakota, was founding commissioner of the American Football League, president of the National Rifle Association and host of two TV hunting shows.
The longtime Scottsdale resident also was a prolific public speaker who traveled the country to promote service to God and country.
Although he was in good health for a man of his age, Foss, ever the strategist, and his wife, Didi, established The Joe Foss Institute (www.thefossinstitute.org) in 2001 to continue his work.
He spoke at seven schools as part of the program before he fell ill.
A number of combat veterans will follow his example and speak about patriotism and America’s freedoms, said friend and institute chairman Gus Grant.
Its advisory board includes Tom Brokaw, John Glenn, Don Shula, Robert Stack and Zig Ziglar.
Foss believed students were well-educated, but lacked perspective about the cost of freedom, said Grant, former president and CEO of Sprint Corp. “It was in the back of his mind for some time,” he said.
“This is a legacy.”
— Tribune Scottsdale editor Paul Giblin can be reached at (480) 970-2331 or at pgiblin@aztrib.com via e-mail.
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