Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Place and date: Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11 January 1969.
Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis.
Born: 21 February 1944, Chicago, 111.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fritz, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Troop A, near Quan Loi. Capt. Fritz was leading his 7-vehicle armored column along Highway 13 to meet and escort a truck convoy when the column suddenly came under intense crossfire from a reinforced enemy company deployed in ambush positions. In the initial attack, Capt. Fritz’ vehicle was hit and he was seriously wounded. Realizing that his platoon was completely surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and in danger of being overrun, Capt. Fritz leaped to the top of his burning vehicle and directed the positioning of his remaining vehicles and men. With complete disregard for his wounds and safety, he ran from vehicle to vehicle in complete view of the enemy gunners in order to reposition his men, to improve the defenses, to assist the wounded, to distribute ammunition, to direct fire, and to provide encouragement to his men. When a strong enemy force assaulted the position and attempted to overrun the platoon, Capt. Fritz manned a machine gun and through his exemplary action inspired his men to deliver intense and deadly fire which broke the assault and routed the attackers. Moments later a second enemy force advanced to within 2 meters of the position and threatened to overwhelm the defenders. Capt. Fritz, armed only with a [M1911] pistol and bayonet, led a small group of his men in a fierce and daring charge which routed the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties. When a relief force arrived, Capt. Fritz saw that it was not deploying effectively against the enemy positions, and he moved through the heavy enemy fire to direct its deployment against the hostile positions. This deployment forced the enemy to abandon the ambush site and withdraw. Despite his wounds, Capt. Fritz returned to his position, assisted his men, and refused medical attention until all of his wounded comrades had been treated and evacuated. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Capt. Fritz, at the repeated risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect the greatest credit upon himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces.
Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army.
Place and date: 3 October 1993, Mogadishu, Somalia.
Entered service at: —–
Born: Lincoln, Maine.
Citation: Master Sergeant Gordon, United States Army, distinguished himself by actions above and beyond the call of duty on 3 October 1993, while serving as Sniper Team Leader, United States Army Special Operations Command with Task Force Ranger in Mogadishu, Somalia. Master Sergeant Gordon’s sniper team provided precision fires from the lead helicopter during an assault and at two helicopter crash sites, while subjected to intense automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade fires. When Master Sergeant Gordon learned that ground forces were not immediately available to secure the second crash site, he and another sniper unhesitatingly volunteered to be inserted to protect the four critically wounded personnel, despite being well aware of the growing number of enemy personnel closing in on the site. After his third request to be inserted, Master Sergeant Gordon received permission to perform his volunteer mission. When debris and enemy ground fires at the site caused them to abort the first attempt, Master Sergeant Gordon was inserted one hundred meters south of the crash site. Equipped with only his sniper rifle and a [M1911] pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon and his fellow sniper, while under intense small arms fire from the enemy, fought their way through a dense maze of shanties and shacks to reach the critically injured crew members. Master Sergeant Gordon immediately pulled the pilot and the other crew members from the aircraft, establishing a perimeter which placed him and his fellow sniper in the most vulnerable position. Master Sergeant Gordon used his long range rifle and side arm to kill an undetermined number of attackers until he depleted his ammunition. Master Sergeant Gordon then went back to the wreckage, recovering some of the crew’s weapons and ammunition. Despite the fact that he was critically low on ammunition, he provided some of it to the dazed pilot and then radioed for help. Master Sergeant Gordon continued to travel the perimeter, protecting the downed crew. After his team member was fatally wounded and his own rifle ammunition exhausted, Master Sergeant Gordon returned to the wreckage, recovering a rifle with the last five rounds of ammunition and gave it to the pilot with the words, “good luck.” Then, armed only with his pistol, Master Sergeant Gordon continued to fight until he was fatally wounded. His actions saved the pilot’s life. Master Sergeant Gordon’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest standards of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.
Artistic rendition of General Joe Foss fighting the Japanese invaders.
In memoriam, Gen. Joe Foss
It was one of those creepy moments of synchronicity that didn’t really mean anything but felt like it should. I had just finished flying Joe Foss’s mission of October 23, 1942 in Combat Flight Simulator 2. Having gotten my turn-and-burn fix, I closed the game and checked the news wire. General Joe Foss had died. Foss had been one of the primary consultants in the development of the game and he had designed that particular mission, and while computer games are just computer games, playing the mission gives you an idea of the difficulty and lop-sided odds these guys faced.
Gen. Foss was a true American hero. He was the first Marine aviator to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor with 26 kills over Guadalcanal in those dark early days of the war in the Pacific. He had a particular fondness for cigars, hence the nickname, “Smokey Joe.” Unlike many war heroes who have trouble adjusting to peacetime, Gen. Foss didn’t miss a beat. Stateside, he formed his own flying service, established a Packard dealership, organized the South Dakota Air National Guard, was elected to Congress and then governor of South Dakota, and became president of the fledgling American Football League and the NRA. The last time Gen. Foss was in the news was last year when he was prevented from getting on an airplane with his Congressional Medal of Honor because some dimwitted security person at an airport decided that the sharp edges of the medal might be used as a weapon by the 86-year-old man to hijack the airplane. That, to me, was one of the most bitter ironies of the post-911 hysteria.
Upon learning of Gen. Foss’s death, South Dakota Gov. Bill Janklow said that the aviator “spurred an entire nation into a resolve that we would win the Second World War and make the world a safer place.” He added, “All the things that he accomplished pale in comparison to the fact that back in the deep, dark days of the early 1940s, when America needed a hero, Joe Foss was there.”
The Battle for Guadalcanal was a legend maker like no other in the Pacific theater. It was as pivotal as Midway and far more desperate. By all rights, the American forces should have been crushed, but guys like Joe Foss just weren’t going to let that happen, and when we’re singing the praises of the celebrity warriors like Foss, Edson, Basilone and Boyington, we need to remember that there were many more who strapped themselves into Wildcats or shouldered a Garand and gave as much or more but didn’t get the recognition lavished upon the stars. They were the vertebrae in America’s backbone, and we owe them a tremendous debt whether or not our politically correct history books choose to remember them.
I think I’ll find an empty runway someplace and smoke a good cigar.
CMH Citation
FOSS, JOSEPH JACOB
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Marine Fighting Squadron 121, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Place and date: Over Guadalcanal, 9 October to 19 November 1942, 15 and 23 January 1943.
Entered service at: South Dakota.
Born: 17 April 1 915, Sioux Falls, S. Dak.
Citation:
For outstanding heroism and courage above and beyond the call of duty as executive officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 121, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, at Guadalcanal. Engaging in almost daily combat with the enemy from 9 October to 19 November 1942, Capt. Foss personally shot down 23 Japanese planes and damaged others so severely that their destruction was extremely probable. In addition, during this period, he successfully led a large number of escort missions, skillfully covering reconnaissance, bombing, and photographic planes as well as surface craft. On 15 January 1943, he added 3 more enemy planes to his already brilliant successes for a record of aerial combat achievement unsurpassed in this war. Boldly searching out an approaching enemy force on 25 January, Capt. Foss led his 8 F-4F Marine planes and 4 Army P-38’s into action and, undaunted by tremendously superior numbers, intercepted and struck with such force that 4 Japanese fighters were shot down and the bombers were turned back without releasing a single bomb. His remarkable flying skill, inspiring leadership, and indomitable fighting spirit were distinctive factors in the defense of strategic American positions on Guadalcanal.
Quotes and Anecdotes
“I say all guns are good guns. There are no bad guns. I say the whole nation should be armed. Period.” – Joe Foss
“A gun is a piece of art. That’s what Hitler did, take the guns away. Mao Tse Tung said, ‘He who has the guns has control.’ I don’t want to be directed by any group of clowns about what to do with my gun. They won’t get mine, that’s for sure.” – Joe Foss
“I never worry about the challenges,” he said. “When you come out of combat and you’ve dealt with life and death, and you’ve seen your fellow man deader than a doornail, then all the little things … seem like a scratch on the wall.” – Joe Foss
Foss was asked how, given that many more gun owners kill themselves or their relatives than ever shoot an intruder, he could in good conscience advise people to own guns. Here, in full, is what he said: “It’s very easy to do that in good conscience, because we’ve got a great training program. When you buy the gun, don’t just run home and hide it in the drawer loaded. Get the instruction on how to use it. And, of course, if you have children around, you never have the ammunition and the gun together unless you know that you’re going to use it. See, we don’t police our homes any more as a family unit. We run off like goofy geese and let the silly box be the baby sitter. That’s where the kids really go wild — when you look at that thing and see the blow ’em up and shoot ’em up, even for breakfast. Yesterday morning I was watching TV, and they had a show on there. It was pow! pow! pow! for breakfast! So no matter when the kid looks at it, he gets the general idea you oughta shoot somebody. It’s time in our great country that some of the parents take the responsibility of taking care of their kids.”
A questioner mentioned the “well regulated militia” clause of the Second Amendment, and asked if it did not imply that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” comes with some responsibility to serve the country.
Foss replied, “No, sir, you’re dead wrong on that baby! There’s one thing about it, when it comes to the founding fathers of the country: if you read that about the militia, the way it was spelled out in the definition of it at the time it was put there, the Second Amendment was sold as everyone could have firearms or guns in their home, because they’d just gone through a deal with their good friends across the pond that wanted to disarm everyone. So they were never going to get caught in that situation again. And today people try to come along and say ‘If you belong to the National Guard, why then fine and dandy.’ But everyone cannot belong to the National Guard.”
“I talked to Joe Foss at some length at the last meeting of the NRA board, and, as always, I learned various fascinating things. For instance, I had not known that Joe was a “point shooter” who removed the sight from his airplane after a friend of his had his face mashed in by the sight on a forced landing. Joe thereafter simply pointed his airplane reflexively and thus became the all-time hero of unsighted fire – but I will not tell anybody in the pistol class about that!” – Jeff Cooper
Joe Foss, the authentic hero, tells a tale upon himself. When he was given his first rifle he was allowed to take it out and use it by himself, though not in company. Tempted beyond resistance, he let go and fractured a ceramic insulator on a power line. For this sin he was grounded for a year – a truly awesome penalty. At age 14 a year is forever, and Joe had the full time to ponder upon his precious rifle locked away in his father’s closet. It is not necessary to use tranquilizers to “train up the child in the way he should go.” – Jeff Cooper
Painting of General Jow Foss leading an attack on Japanese bombers.
In his first combat action he shot down one Japanese Zeke but in his excitement he was aggressively pursued by three more Zekes. He tried everything he could think of to elude these Zekes but finally was shot down. He managed to make a dead stick landing back at the base. He vowed that he would never let this happen again, and to keep a better look out while flying. This earned him another nickname “Swivel Neck Joe.” Foss was so deadly accurate that he usually only used four of his machine guns rather than the six to help save ammunition. On 25 November he shot down another five Zekes to bring his total to 16. By 7 October he scored two more to bring his total to 18. In just six weeks of combat Foss shot down 16 Japanese Zekes. His final total was 26, the second highest scoring Marine Fighter ace behind Major Pappy Boyington. Fosse’s flight became known as “Joe’s Flying Circus” They were credited with 72 victories while under Joe’s command. – from Flight-History.com
When Dave Beckwith was in fourth grade, he delivered newspapers to businesses and the government housing near the airport in Pierre, South Dakota. One afternoon he was pedaling toward the airport when he hit a pot hole, crashed his bike and spilled the newspapers all over the highway.
Embarrassed but not hurt, he got up and started gathering the newspapers when a black limousine slowed to a stop, and a man got out of the back seat to help.
“Are you OK?” He asked as he began assisting Dave. The kind man stayed long enough to help Dave pick up the papers and make certain that he was OK.
Dave couldn’t help but notice his license plate number when he drove away: “1.” South Dakota Governor Joe Foss was the man that stopped to help. “I knew nothing about his political views,” Dave said, “but he was a man of remarkable kindness, and a hero to a nine-year-old boy!” – (Fresh Illustrations)
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company A, 13th Engineer Combat Battalion, 7th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Sokkogae, Korea, 8 to 10 July 1953.
Entered service at: Boise, Idaho.
Born: 8 October 1933, Boise, Idaho.
G.O. No.: 5, 14 January 1955.
Citation: Cpl. Schoonover, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. He was in charge of an engineer demolition squad attached to an infantry company which was committed to dislodge the enemy from a vital hill. Realizing that the heavy fighting and intense enemy fire made it impossible to carry out his mission, he voluntarily employed his unit as a rifle squad and, forging up the steep barren slope, participated in the assault on hostile positions. When an artillery round exploded on the roof of an enemy bunker, he courageously ran forward and leaped into the position, killing 1 hostile infantryman and taking another prisoner. Later in the action, when friendly forces were pinned down by vicious fire from another enemy bunker, he dashed through the hail of fire, hurled grenades in the nearest aperture, then ran to the doorway and emptied his [M1911] pistol, killing the remainder of the enemy. His brave action neutralized the position and enabled friendly troops to continue their advance to the crest of the hill. When the enemy counterattacked he constantly exposed himself to the heavy bombardment to direct the fire of his men and to call in an effective artillery barrage on hostile forces. Although the company was relieved early the following morning, he voluntarily remained in the area, manned a machine gun for several hours, and subsequently joined another assault on enemy emplacements. When last seen he was operating an automatic rifle with devastating effect until mortally wounded by artillery fire. Cpl. Schoonover’s heroic leadership during 2 days of heavy fighting, superb personal bravery, and willing self-sacrifice inspired his comrades and saved many lives, reflecting lasting glory upon himself and upholding the honored traditions of the military service.
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army, 25th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Guadalcanal Island, 12 January 1943.
Entered service at: Montgomery, Ala.
Birth: Gordo, Ala.
G.O. No.: 40, 17 July 1943.
Citation: For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on Guadalcanal Island. On 12 January 1943, Maj. Davis (then Capt.), executive officer of an infantry battalion, volunteered to carry instructions to the leading companies of his battalion which had been caught in crossfire from Japanese machineguns. With complete disregard for his own safety, he made his way to the trapped units, delivered the instructions, supervised their execution, and remained overnight in this exposed position. On the following day, Maj. Davis again volunteered to lead an assault on the Japanese position which was holding up the advance. When his rifle jammed at its first shot, he drew his pistol (M1911) and, waving his men on, led the assault over the top of the hill. Electrified by this action, another body of soldiers followed and seized the hill. The capture of this position broke Japanese resistance and the battalion was then able to proceed and secure the corps objective. The courage and leadership displayed by Maj. Davis inspired the entire battalion and unquestionably led to the success of its attack.
Academics Say Gun Laws Counter Productive – This is the text of a letter sent to members of Congress by 290 scholars who say more gun controls are not the answer to the nation’s crime problems.
American Aircraft of WWII – This site covers virtually all U.S. aircraft designed or used during World War II. All photos are believed to be at least 50 years old and in the public domain.
USS Enterprise CV-6 – The most decorated ship of the Second World War, Enterprise changed the very course of a war she seemed to have been expressly created for.
MILITARY HISTORY – Pacifica Military History – Pacifica Military History publishes an impressive array of modern mililtary history books, chiefly combat narratives and first-person battle accounts. Our military history books cover land, naval, and aviation history.
A Marine Diary My Experiences on Guadalcanal – Rube Garrett’s Diary tells the story of the 11th Marines artillery, 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal in WWII and the campaign in the Solomons which marked the turning point of the Pacific war. Army, Navy and the USMC Cactus Air Force defeated Japanese forces in six months of fighting during World War Two.
NavSource.Org Main Page – Images, History, Crew Contacts, Building, Service And Final Fate Information. The Largest US Navy Warship Photo Collection On The Internet.
Military Firearms Links – This is the most complete and well organized table on the web listing pistols, rifles, submachine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, ammo and more. Divided into easy to find sections it helps understand the many M numbers (like M-1911 or M-1 and how they relate to more common names like Army Automatic or Thompson. Covers most popular US weapons, plus some from other countries as well. Many firearms have multiple photos from official and private sources.
Special Forces Search Engine – A Green Beret, Special Operations, SEAL, Ranger, Air Commando and Marine Raider Specific Directory that users can add and modify their own sites.
SearchMil.com – Over 1 million military pages indexed and ranked in order of popularity.
Academics Say Gun Laws Counter Productive – This is the text of a letter sent to members of Congress by 290 scholars who say more gun controls are not the answer to the nation’s crime problems.
Citizen’s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms – We’re willing to comment on our critics’ views and positions, fill in reporters on the facts about the gun lobby and the issue of gun control, those who’d like to take a swipe at us and the Second Amendment. So when you think of the gun lobby, think of us. And when you think First Amendment, call us, too. We’re rabid on the rights of gun owners to speak their piece.
Clayton Cramer’s Primary Historical Sources – Lot’s of good stuff here on the history of firearms legislation, race issues and guns, militia, court decisions, and revolutionary history. Cramer is the historian who debunked the lying Michael Bellisles
Dave Kopel’s web site – Dave Kopel is one of my favorite intellectual ammunition producers. If you haven’t read Dave’s work yet, you should.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws – Our mission is to educate our fellow doctors and their patients, the public, about gun laws that are counterproductive and the deceitful tactics of those who advocate gun control. We offer a healthy dose of common sense to the national gun debate by shedding light on what gun laws are sensible, and which ones most certainly are not.
Firearms Coalition – Neal Knox’s Site. Neal Knox was a prominent figure in the firearms rights movement for over 30 years reporting on the state of gun rights since the debates over the Gun Control Act of 1968. A gun writer, competitive shooter, and hunter, Knox combined a vast knowledge of firearms with a political reporter’s eye for the facts. His sons, Jeff and Chris carry on the work.
GunCite – An excellent collection of RKBA and 2nd Amendment info, studies, and fact.
Gun Facts – A 70+ page e-book that explodes the most common gun control myths. Download it, email it to your friends, politicians, and the local media. Print copies and leave them on the city bus or local lunch counter.
Neal Knox’s Firearms Coalition – If you want to stay informed on RKBA and 2nd Amendment issues, Neal is one of the best primary sources. This site also contains the archive of his e-mail alerts which I find invaluable.
NRA “Write Your Reps” Tool – This is a very handy and functional online utility to find your representatives, their e-mail addresses and send them mail.
Oleg Volk’s RKBA Site – Oleg is an artist and photographer who has put together a visually appealing and conceptually compelling site–a must see.
Second Amendment Foundation – The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms. To that end, we carry on many educational and legal action programs designed to better inform the public about the gun control debate
Second Amendment Sisters – Second Amendment Sisters, Inc. is a women’s advocacy group dedicated to preserving the basic human right to self-defense, as recognized by the Second Amendment.
The Founders’ Constitution – An online collection of texts from the founders of the United States which shows their thinking and intent as they developed the United States Constitution.
The Independence Institute – Think tank and online home of Dave Kopel, an eloquent advocate for the Second Amendment and RKBA
