John William Foss (13 February 1933 – 25 April 2020) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

, and commander of the

United States Army Training and Doctrine Command The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine ...

Military career

Foss was born in

Hutchinson, Minnesota Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River (Minnesota), Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census ...

, on 13 February 1933. He began his military career when he enlisted in the

Minnesota National Guard The Minnesota National Guard is a state-based military force of more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen, serving in 61 communities across the state. Operated in the U.S. state of Minnesota, it is a reserve component of the National Guard (United ...

's 136th Infantry Regiment in April 1950. He transferred to active duty as an infantryman in 1951, received an appointment to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, and was commissioned in the infantry in 1956. Foss held a variety of command and staff positions. His overseas tours include four in Europe and four in Asia. Foss served as a platoon leader in the 504th and 187th Infantry Regiments in both Germany and Lebanon and commanded a rifle company in the 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry in Korea. He served two combat tours in Vietnam with the 4th Infantry Division as the Operations Officer, 2nd Brigade and as the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry. Foss' commands include the 3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division; the

United States Army Infantry School The United States Army Infantry School is a school located at Fort Benning, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia that is dedicated to training Infantry Branch (United States), infantrymen for service in the United States Army. Organization The school ...

and

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

; the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

; the

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for Rapid deployment force, rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is r ...

and

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...

; and Commanding General,

(TRADOC). Foss also served as an instructor at the

; the first exchange instructor at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

; the G-3 of

III Corps III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * I ...

; Chief of the Joint Military Advisory Group,

Manila, Philippines Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is ...

; Commanding General, Seventh Army Training Command in Germany; the United States Army Chief of Infantry; and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Department of the Army. In addition to a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in engineering, Foss received a

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg State College. His awards include the

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. ...

with two

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a spec ...

s, the

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force and is presented to airmen and guardians to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United S ...

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster,

Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM) is a military decoration of the United States Department of Defense, which is presented to United States Armed Forces service members who perform superior meritorious service in a position of significant ...

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also earned the Ranger Tab,

Expert Infantryman Badge The Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) is a special skills badge of the United States Army. The EIB was created with the CIB by executive order in November 1943 during World War II. Currently, it is awarded to U.S. Army personnel who hold infantry ...

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel and below, wh ...

, the

Master Parachutist Badge The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. Some services, such as the Marine Corps, officially refer to it as an insignia instead of a badge. The United States Space Fo ...

with over 300 jumps, and the Army Staff Identification and

Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and t ...

s. He was awarded parachute badges from the United Kingdom, Philippines, Honduras, and Egypt. Foss was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame in 1995.

Awards and decorations

Post military

Foss retired from the army on 1 September 1991, and lived in

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...

. In retirement Foss had been Chairman of the Commission on the United States Army Reserve Command, served as a consultant to various defense industries, been on the Board of Advisors to both the

Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), formerly named the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, is a Washington, D.C.–based, non-profit and think tank. History JINSA was founded in 1976, three years after ...

and the National Infantry Foundation, Senior Mentor to Senior Joint Warfighting Course,

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

and was a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Land Warfare of the

Association of the United States Army The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) is a private, non-profit organization that serves as the professional association of the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 121 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not ju ...

. In 1995 he was inducted to the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame. In September 2009, Foss was awarded the

Doughboy Award Order of Saint Maurice was established in 1996 in the pattern of the Cavalry & Armor Association's Saint George Award, Order of St. George Medallion and is awarded by the National Infantry Association and the certificate is signed by the United S ...

by the

National Infantry Association The National Infantry Association (NIA) was established in April 1982 at Fort Benning, Georgia as the Infantry Association, operating as a titular organization for the subscribers of “Infantry” magazine. In 1994, it was incorporated as the ...

. In May 2013, Foss was selected and awarded as a Distinguished Graduate at West Point.

Personal

Last resided in Williamsburg, Virginia. His wife Gloria died of cancer 26 June 2014, and was interred at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

on 12 August 2014. He had three children, John W. Foss Jr., Kevin Mark Foss and Julia M. Foss Dunn. Through their daughter Julia, Foss has three grandchildren: Bryana, Kyla and Brady Dunn. Foss died on 25 April 2020, at the age of 87. He was interred with his wife at Arlington National Cemetery on 22 October 2020.

References

External links

Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs bioNational Infantry Foundation bioRanger Hall of Fame InducteesWest Point Distinguished Graduate RecipientsGloria Foss Obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foss, John W. 1933 births 2020 deaths People from Hutchinson, Minnesota Military personnel from Minnesota United States Army soldiers United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Rangers United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania alumni Academics of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army generals Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Military Academy faculty