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Joe Foss was one of the best-known fighter pilots to emerge from
WWII. Flying over embattled Guadacanal in the darkest days of
the autumn and winter of 1942-43, this aggressive and talented
flying Leatherneck became the first American WWII pilot to match
Captain Eddie Rickenbaker’s World War 1 record of twenty-six
confirmed aerial victories. Joe Foss’s feat also earned
him a Medal of Honor, as much for his leadership skills as his
marksmanship. I recall, when he was checking Roy’s work
in progress on this painting he commented “Something is
wrong.” After looking at it for a few moments, he said “I’ve
got it, you show a gunsight in the aircraft. I never used one,
remove it.” Roy did of course, so if you do not see a gunsight
in his Wildcat you will know why. In this image, Joe is sitting
in the cockpit of his aircraft at Guadacanal. Joe never saw the
finished painting unfortunately. Note the symbolic Wildcat in
the distance heading west in honor of Joe. |