S2E3: Marines over Guadalcanal, WW2: Part 3 Captain Joe Foss, USMC, F4F Wildcat pilot

The Aviation Medals of Honor

On October 9th, 1942, VMF-121 arrived on Guadalcanal in the midst of a major Japanese offensive to take back the island. Over the next two weeks, Captain Joe Foss would rack up 16 of his eventual 26 aerial victories while surviving 2 shootdowns, a near death hypoxia event, and a battleship bombardment. This episode is Part 1 of 2 on Captain Foss and covers the October Japanese land, sea, and air effort to take back the island. Also introduced are future Medal of Honor winner LtCol Joe Bauer and his squadron, VMF-212. Selected readings: Joe Foss Flying Marine: The Story of his Flying Circus, Joe Foss and Walter Simmons History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War 2, Robert Sherrod Wildcat, the F4F in WW2, Barrett Tillman Time of Aces: Marine Pilots in the Solomons, 1942-1944, Cdr Peter Mersky Fire in the Sky, The Air War in the South Pacific, Eric Bergerud Guadalcanal 1942-43: Japan's Bid to Knock Out Henderson Field and the Cactus Air Force, Mark Stille I can be reached at [e-mail] Feedback and reviews appreciated! Semper Fi, Kelly "Beavis" Ramshur