Army & Navy – HEROES: Ace of Aces

Husky, square-jawed Captain Joseph J. Foss, ranking U.S. ace, returned to Guadalcanal from leave all ready to better his score of 23 enemy planes. He lost no time doing so. Before his hard-bitten competitors in Marine Fighting Squadron 223 could say “mess kit,” he had knocked down three more Zeros. On the basis of last week’s news, Joe Foss had already equaled Captain Eddie Rickenbacker’s record of World War I: 26 aircraft.