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Sioux Falls students finally get Joe Foss's message
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Joe Foss died in January, 2003. He founded the Joe Foss Institute to teach kids about courage, character and patriotism. (Cara Hetland)
Over the next few weeks, some of America's war heros will return home. The B-52 bomber crews from Minot, N.D., will be back at their home base. And B-1B bomber crews from South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base will come back from Iraq. Heroes from past wars are launching a national program to talk to school kids. The program was founded by former South Dakota Gov. Joe Foss. The inaugural presentation was in Sioux Falls.

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Image Joe Foss as a World War II war hero

Sioux Falls, S.D. — Not all of the 300 students at Joe Foss High School attended the assembly. That's because the students of the alternative school had a choice. They could stay and learn about the life of their school's namesake, or they could go home. One-third chose to stay.

Terri Stanevich Pretty Bonnet was one of them, and she knows little about Joe Foss.

"I just knew Joe Foss flew a plane. That's all I knew," she said.

But after the presentation, students knew a lot more about the life of Joe Foss. The South Dakota native struggled in school. He joined the Marines before World War II began. He became a fighter pilot and shot down 26 Japanese planes, among the most of any pilot in World War II.

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Image Wally Schirra

After the war, Foss served in the South Dakota Legislature. He served two terms as governor and he was integral in starting the South Dakota Air National Guard.

His wife, Didi Foss, says Joe always believed in kids. She says the Joe Foss Institute will conduct assemblies at schools around the country.

"We want them to learn about patriotism and integrity and have an appreciation for freedom. That's our mission statement," says Foss.

Joe Foss created his institute after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He wanted to travel to schools and remind kids to appreciate what they have and to understand patriotism. Foss died in January, so his friends are telling his story.

Astronaut Wally Schirra told students they can go a long way if they put their minds to it. Schirra, one of the original Mercury astronauts, is the only one who flew in Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Before he was an astronaut, Schirra was a test pilot.

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Image Donna "Didi" Foss

"I finally realized I wanted to go higher, farther and faster. I made a commitment. If you want to do something you have to commit to it. I made the commitment that I wanted to get into space and I wanted to do a good job," Schirra says.

Schirra says he and Joe Foss shared a philosophy -- there are always ways to overcome obstacles.

Terri Stanevich Pretty Bonnet knows that firsthand. In January she was released from the Department of Corrections, after being in juvenile custody for a year. She says the presentation helped her focus on her future.

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Image Terri Stanevich Pretty Bonnet

"I plan on going into the military, in the Marines, into the visual arts section to be the battlefield photographer. And for my career I want to be a photographer," she says.

Stanevich Pretty Bonnet says she learned she'll need to work for people's respect.

"People have a lot of respect for certain people who do good deeds, and if you do good deeds you'll get the respect that you deserve. It just shows that Joe Foss had respect for his country and he was loyal," says Stanevich Pretty Bonnet.

The Joe Foss Institute will open nine branch offices within the next two years. One will be in Sioux Falls. The goal is to bring Joe Foss's message to one million school age children each year.


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