Description: About This Item:We are offering a hand signed unframed Stan Stokes 11 1/2 X 16 print by: Joe Foss and artist Stan Stokes. This item was hand signed in person. In addition this item comes with AI Verified hologram and AI Verified Certificate of Authenticity. Original SRP $169.95 and has been long sold out. About the Print:The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the third monoplane to see carrier service with the Navy. It was also the fighter aircraft which would carry the brunt of the fighting in the Pacific until 1943 when the F6F Hellcat would enter service. The Wildcat was flow by both USN and USMC aviators. The Wildcat lacked the range and maneuverability of the Mitsubishi Zeros it often faced, but the Wildcat was more heavily armed and able to take a lot more punishment than the Mitsubishis. Most of the pilots which obtained ace status while flying the F4F obtained most of their victories against Japanese bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Eight individuals were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor while displaying valor while in command of an F4F. The pilots of no other aircraft during WW II were as highly decorated. One of the most outstanding of this elite group was USMC Captain Joseph Jacob Foss. Foss, a South Dakota native, had been accepted as a naval aviation cadet following his graduation from the University of South Dakota. Foss had already learned to fly on his own, and had no difficulty earning his wings. Foss flew with VMF-121 in Guadacanal in 1942 and early 1943. He was credited with 26 confirmed aerial victories, making him the first American aviator to reach the victory record of the famed Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, one of Joes boyhood heroes. The ground based fighter pilots in Guadacanal were often referred to as The Cactus Air Force. As the Executive Officer of VMF-121 flying out of Henderson Field, Joes amazing victory tally helped make VMF-121 the highest scoring Marine squadron of the War. The success at Guadacanal was not without a heavy price. More than 20% of VMF-121s pilots did not return from the campaign. The squadrons best combat day in Guadacanal was on October 25, 1942. Eighteen aerial victories were credited to the squadron, with Foss leading the way with five Zeros bagged on two combat missions. Because it was impossible to permanently assign aircraft at Guadacanal, Foss flew several different Wildcats, including those numbered 53, 50, and 84. Nicknamed Swivel-Neck-Joe by some his fellow pilots, Foss learned early that it did not pay to be surprised by the opposition. Foss also leaned that the most effective way to down an opposing aircraft was to get as close to it as possible before utilizing ones limited supply of ammunition. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Tough As Nails, Joe Foss is tangling with a F1M2 Pete on November 7, 1942. Joes first pass over the much slower float plane proves ineffective, and the Petes gunner actually stars the portside glass of Foss windscreen. Circling around, and approaching from below, the Pete would soon become his eighteenth victory. Returning from this mission Foss would have to ditch his aircraft. He was rescued by missionaries and returned to combat flying the next day. Joes second combat tour in 1943 was cut short due to the ongoing effects of a bout with malaria. Joe served in the Air Force Reserve after the War reaching the rank of Brigadier General. Following a successful career in both politics and professional sports, Foss has remained active and was instrumental in the formation of the American Fighter Aces Association, and has served as President of the NRA. Item ConditionAll scans represent the actual item being sold. We do not use representative stock images (unless noted and/or determined by quantitiy available in the listing). Every single piece of our autographed stock is individually imaged. TermsPaymentShippingTerms and ConditionsWe will notify all buyers via e-mail within 24 hours at the close of each auction with payment details. Buyer is responsible to pay for sales tax charged for each purchase. No exceptions!If a buyer doesn't pay within 4 days, our eBay account is set up to automatically open an unpaid item case in the Resolution Center.If the buyer still doesn't pay or reach some other agreement with the seller, eBay may record the unpaid item on the buyer's account.All items will be shipped at the winning bidder's expense (unless stated otherwise). All orders will be shipped out via USPS Priority Mail (with Delivery Confirmation) or via Fed Ex Ground unless otherwise noted in the auction descriptionOrders will be processed within 24 hours after receipt of valid payment information.Feedback is left shortly after the address label and order have been processed.Sales Tax is the responsibility of the buyer.We will do our very best to provide as much accurate information as we can for each and every auction.All offers must be made on eBay. We will not accept emailed offers. No exceptions.We do not meet buyers in person. No exceptions. _gsrx_vers_1545 (GS 9.4.1 (1545))
Price: 69.95 USD
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
End Time: 2024-08-26T14:21:38.000Z
Shipping Cost: 10 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Return policy details:
Autograph Authentication: AIV
Industry: Military
Original/Reproduction: Original
Signed: Yes
