serviceyears branch death_date allegiance birth_date laterwork death_place battles placeofburial spouse rank image caption birth_place unit awards nickname module article_title birth_name
1940 -lrb- ang -rrb- -- 1946 -lrb- usmcr -rrb- 1946 -- 1955 united states marine corps south dakota air national guard 1 january 2003 united states of america 17 april 1915 american broadcaster author entrepreneur spokesperson football league commissioner national rifle association president television scottsdale , arizona world war ii * battle of guadalcanal arlington national cemetery june wild shakstad -lrb- divorced -rrb- donna `` didi '' 20px ang -rrb- major -lrb- usmc -rrb- 20px brigadier general -lrb- 180px & nbsp ; & nbsp ; 90px medal of honor recipient joe foss sioux falls , south dakota vmf-121 vmf-115 vmf-115 medal of honor distinguished flying cross `` , `` old foos '' , `` ace of aces smokey '' joe '' , `` old joe '' yes office = governor of south dakota term_start = january 4 name , 1955 term_end = january 6 , 1959 lieutenant = = l. roy houck sigurd anderson successor = ralph herseth party governorship = republican image = order = 20th joe foss
 joseph jacob foss
joe foss

joseph jacob `` joe '' foss -lrb- april 17 , 1915 -- january 1 , 2003 -rrb- was the leading fighter ace of the united states marine corps during world war ii and a 1943 recipient of the medal of honor , recognizing his role in the air combat during the guadalcanal campaign .
in postwar years , he achieved fame as a general in the air national guard , the 20th governor of south dakota , president of the national rifle association , and the first commissioner of the american football league , as well as a television broadcaster .
