Foss joined in the United States Navy in January, 1897. He served as a seaman on the light cruiser . On May 11, 1898, during combat off the northwest coast of
Cuba, the crew of the USS
Marblehead pulled the main communications cable over the bow of their boat. Despite being under heavy fire, they severed the cable. Foss finished the job with a
hacksaw. The crew suffered many casualties, however they accomplished their mission of disrupting communications between Cuba and Spain. ==Post war==