Mayhew-Foster-Obituary

Mayhew "Bo" Foster

Obituary

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Mayhew "Bo" Foster, a World War II Army pilot who transported the one-time heir to Adolf Hitler for interrogation in an unarmed, unescorted plane, has died. He was 99.

Foster died Monday night in a Missoula nursing home, son-in-law Roy Korkalo said Tuesday. A cause of death was not immediately given.

Foster served as brigadier general of the Montana National Guard, was awarded the Silver Star for valor as an artillery air officer and received the French Legion of Honor for his service in World War II.

But his mission flying Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering was the highlight of his military career. The head of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe had surrendered when the war ended in Europe in 1945, and Foster flew him from Kitzbuhel, Austria, to 7th Army headquarters in Germany for interrogation before turning him over to stand trial at Nuremberg.

Goering weighed more than 300 pounds, and Foster told The Associated Press in Jan uary he had to take a larger plane than he normally used for reconnaissance missions.

"I had the impulse to turn the plane over and see if I could shake him out but he was wedged in like a champagne cork," Foster told his wife, Virginia Lou Foster, in a letter written soon after the mission.

Foster said Goering was relaxed during the 55-minute flight, avoiding any talk of Hitler or the war and instead pointed out the sites below them.

"He acted as though he was going on a sightseeing tour, or really as though as I was going on a sightseeing tour and he was showing me where he grew up," Foster told the AP.

Goering was found guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg, but killed himself by swallowing a cyanide capsule before a hanging sentence could be carried out.

Foster returned to the U.S. in October 1945, having flown 70 reconnaissance combat missions. He was awarded the Silver Star after spending five hours taking fire above the battlefield when the 36 th Division made an amphibious assault landing in southern France in 1944.

He returned to Montana and was appointed lieutenant colonel in the Montana National Guard, then was promoted to brigadier general of the Guard, a rank he held from 1963 until 1971.

Foster was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2009 for his "personal, precious contribution to the United States' decisive role in the liberation of our country during World War II," according to a letter from French Ambassador Pierre Vimont.

Foster was born Oct. 9, 1911, in Richmond, Va., and graduated from Yale University in 1937 with an English degree. He married his wife Virginia in 1940 and they had a daughter, Susan, who died in 2007.

Foster is survived by his son-in-law, Korkalo, his grandson, Chris Korkalo, and his sister, Priscilla Howell.

Funeral arrangements are pending.


Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press

Guest Book

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Dear Family of the Survivors of Mayhew Y. "Bo" Foster. I am a German historian writing a biography of Hermann Goering, which of course includes "Bo" Foster. I would ask you to contact me. Email: [email protected] Thank you very much and all the best to you! Best regards

Thank you for your service in keeping our country free.

I had the privilege of working for/with him in peacetime as he quietly made his community, his state, his nation a better place. A glance or a word from him made all the work worthwhile.

J. Missoula

Au revoir Bo, je n'oublierais jamais notre première rencontre dans les Vosges en France, en 1944. Ni les suivantes avec Lou, puis Suzann et Roy.
Je vous embrasse.
Jackie . le Vert Galant .France

Bo once dated my Mother-in-law, Eve Harris Noake. She often spoke kindly of him. They spoke in the last year...she loved earing from him. Eve passed away 3/13/11. My sincere sympathy yo the family. Becky Noake

Thank you for your service General Foster. God bless you and your family. I wish so much that I could have met you and spoken with you as I am trying to do research for a book on this very topic. If any of the Korkalo family or Ms. Priscilla Howell read this please contact me at [email protected] Thank you so much.

Bo, we will miss you greatly. Thank for leaving such a legacy for Chris and your great grand-daughters.

Rest now General as your work is done, and, as always, done to perfection. May your family know the peace of your love.From fellow Veterans all over, we salute you sir..