Joe Foss

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.