Joe Cunningham: “Well, as a kid, I had read about Pappy Boyington, Chuck Yeager and Joe Foss, but the first time I ever met Joe was…”

“Well, as a kid, I had read about Pappy Boyington, Chuck Yeager and Joe Foss, but the first time I ever met Joe was, again, at the American Fighter Aces Reunion in San Antonio. And I covet that picture I gave the gentleman, because I never thought we would be without Joe. He was bigger than life. So I am going to have his wife, DeeDee, send me one of those pictures and sign it for Joe so I can hang it on my wall. I have a special memory of Joe Foss. He and I were inducted into the Riverside Aviation Hall of Fame together. And after the event, people in the audience were able to ask questions. There was an 8-year-old that stood up, and it was the first questioner of General Foss and myself, and his question was, ``General Foss, Duke Cunningham flew jets in Vietnam. You only flew propeller airplanes, didn't you?'' You could see the twinkle in General Foss's eye. He was a grandfatherly type guy, very strong Christian, no nonsense Christian. And so the little kid says, ``Well, General Foss, what does a propeller really do on an airplane?'' General Foss looked at the 8-year-old and he said, ``Son, the propeller is put there to keep the pilot cool.'' The little kid shook his head, and General Foss looked at him and said, ``Son, I'm not lying to you. If it stops, you watch him sweat.'' And that is the kind of individual Joe Foss was.”